Loretta Leavitt

Hey Nick,

It was good to see you the other day. I thought I’d send a quick note with a couple of the stories we talked about.

The classic story we’ve all heard before: For many years, your folks only had one car. And that was the case when they bought the house in El Cajon with you as just a newborn babe. One day, I came over to the house for a visit and your mom needed to go to the bank. We loaded everybody up in the car and headed over. I don’t remember which bank it was, but it was by the post office, there in El Cajon. Your mom went in to do her banking, and I stayed in the station wagon with the kids… Lucretia, Adam, Aaron and YIKES!!! It was then that I realized you were missing. And I couldn’t get all of you out of the car and into the bank, so I waited on pins and needles until your mom came out so we could rush back to the house. And there you were, safe and sound in your crib, none the worse for the wear, but both me and your mom had aged about 10 years from fright. Needless to say, it was still quite new to your mom to be toting three kids rather than just two.

Dorothy’s thermometer was exactly the opposite from the rest of us. During the winter, we’d gear up and keep busy with crafts, cooking and sewing. Not her. It wasn’t until the summer time and the temperatures got into the triple digits that she perked up. She’d be busy with any number of projects – sewing, cooking, and the rest of us would be just slugs in the heat. Sounds like you’re just like her, Nick.

A little bragging… Back in the day, the church had a “young marrieds” group. There were several of us couples who would get together for date night (none of us could afford to go pay for a sitter and dinner and/or a movie!) We’d rotate houses and bring treats to share. The kids would play together and we’d play games – board games, mostly, but one of our favorites was Password. Your mom and I always wanted to be on the same team. We were so much in snyc – mind to mind – that we could often guess the word with just one clue. And in fact, there were times when we guessed the password without a single clue being spoken. Your dad and Jim hated that, but we loved it. Such great fun.

Jim and I were married in February. We started going to church shortly after that (he had been inactive) and I was baptized in May of that year. Your folks were married, as you know, in December and lived in an apartment on Leslie, I think it was. Anyway, when they first started coming to the old El Cajon 3rd Ward, I remember Dorothy being so friendly. We hit it off right away, and your folks invited me and Jim over for dinner after church on Sunday. I remember that they made pork chops and that it was the beginning of our eternal friendships. We had our babies together, my miscarriages together, Anna’s adoption, then the rough stuff – Jim’s illness and death and your mom’s last years. I miss her all the time.

I’ll stop for now, but will send more later. I hope this project brings you joy and helps you find fond memories of your mom. She was my best friend. I can’t imagine what my life would have been if I had missed knowing her.

~Lorretta