July 1998

Dearest Joanna,

Our thoughts and prayers are with you.  It's probably been a very long
time since you've had a family update.  I hope you will be able to
receive this.  Grandma Portia went home to be with Jesus on March 20,
1996.  We miss her.  Mom and Dad celebrated their 51st anniversary on
March 31 of this year.  Marilyn and Tracy McCary were married July 5,
1995, and still live in Norman.  Clay is in the National Guard and chase
is a sophomore in college.  They are 20 years old.

Dewayne and I still live in Dallas.  Kris, almost 23, graduates this
summer from Texas A&M University.  We look forward to him probably
moving back home with us while he works to save money for grad school.
Kara, 20, had her own apartment for a couple of years and worked full
time.  We're enjoying having her back home with us as she is planning on
going back to college this fall and working part time.

I still love thinking of the way you and Kris connected when you visited
us when he was almost two years old.  I feel very sad that Kristopher,
Kara, Clay and Chase have missed out on knowing their precious Aunt
Joanna, and that you have not known them as they have grown to be
wonderful young adults.  They truly are gifts from the Lord and we are
very thankful for their lives.

Mom discovered a lump in her breast in May.  It was a rapidly growing
malignancy of a type of cancer that is hereditary.  After much prayer,
she immediately had a modified radical mastectomy.  She's receiving
daily oral chemotherapy and we're all still praying for her complete
healing.  She seems to be doing well, but this has been a shock to us
all.  Life is precious and fragile.  Dad is coping well with diabetes.
Mom will be 69 years old in July and Dad will be 71 years old in
September.  We're all very grateful that they have been blessed with the
physical ability to stay active and enjoy life.

We all miss you greatly.  It would be a blessing to us all, and
especially to Mom and Dad, to hear from you.  We continue to keep you in our prayers.

                                        Love,
                                                    Barbara

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