Bob had the idea of having cousin Eva and husband Al take care of kids and wife Ruth travel in Europe this winter so that he could study for his college degree at USC unhindered.

Christmas card from this year

Family at the piano

Robert, in need of peace and quiet in order to complete his college coursework in the winter of this year, insisted Ruth take a trip to Europe and drop the kids off to stay with relatives in Ironwood Michigan. Ruth complied, and travelled solo, first flying to New York, where she toured for a while -- seeing the newly built United Nations building. Then she took an 11 knot ocean liner to Europe. She visited relatives in England and Holland. She also travelled to Italy, Switzerland, and France.

Ruth was not pleased with how the kids were taken care of while she was gone, but quickly got things back in order. She told Jef she always regretted being talked out of bringing the kids on the trip.

Robert picked up Ruth when she arrived back from Europe, probably after flying in to Chicago -- Jef remembers Bob filming a plane arriving. The couple then drove to Ironwood to pick up Jef and Julie and drove back to LA.... but on the way, near Cold Fort UT, Ruth told Bob he was driving too fast on an icey road. Shortly after ignoring her, he spun out and went off the road, finally coming to rest on a steep slope, about 25' from the bottom in the deep snow. The family had to climb out of the car, as the doors wouldn't open. A truck stopped and said it would take them to St. George so they could get a towtruck. Jef remembers the comfortable bed in this sleeper truck.

When the tow truck driver was attaching a chain, a big truck came around the blind curve and immediately braked when he saw what was up ahead. The big truck jack-knifed with its trailer and came right at the tow truck, taking up the entire road. Bob, Ruth, and Julie ran for their lives, leaving Jef sitting in the tow truck oblivious to everything.

Just before the big truck took out the tow truck, the driver gunned it, and managed to straighten out enough to barely miss the truck. Bob thinks that this is how Jef became a spoiled brat -- the guilt from this incident caused the couple to give Jef special treatment after that.

The family made it back to LA and things eventually settled down again.

Bob, who was going to night school these past 10 years, went to USC full time.

The neighbors were an interesting lot, and Ruth got to know more of them. The Martins who lived across the street, had a tree growing thru their roof from their living room. Tex, possibly a former Hollywood stunt man, helped watch the kids occasionally. The terraine was so extreme in the area, that when cars took the curve above Tex's house too fast, they might land on his roof! 3 such incidents occurred in the 50s and 60s. Bill Angler, who lived between Tex and Charlie Hanna, also sometimes helped watch Ruth's kids. Ruth and Bob had the luxury of living in a friendly neighborhood, and it rubbed off on Ruth, who always tried to be a good neighbor herself.