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| Aunt Carol Purcell flew up from McAllen |
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| The Birthday Boy |
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| Lucinda visiting from Spokane, WA |
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| Dave making Breakfast Tacos, Yum! |
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| Cribbage! |
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| and more Cribbage! |
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| Steak for dinner |
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| Cards and gifts |
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| from England |
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| plant basket from Greta |
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| Homemade chocolate ice cream cake roll with chocolate ganache and raspberry sauce |
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| new apron |
Jake and I have known each other for quite a long time through church and the Masons and I must admit I have never met such a "gentleman". You really do not find these qualities in men today.
Jake always dresses to perfection in one of his business suits, neatly pressed white shirt and one of his famous bow ties which he has a "few" of. I would say, Jake will always stand out in a crowd which I do not think he really wants but in our generation it still looks smart.
Jake is a very religious man with a vast amount of knowledge about the bible and would not miss a church service on a Sunday where ever he happens to be.
If he is in a restaurant and in the company of women and they have to be excused from the table for some reason he will always help them with their chair both leaving and returning to the table. Now, tell me, where do you see that in todays society?
If anyone is in need of help Jake is right there to offer his assistance; no questions asked, he is just a person who wants to make life a little easier for the other person.
I am very happy Jake to have known you all these years and I wish you only the very best in health in the years to come .
HAPPY 90TH BIRTHDAY JAKE
From Greta Carlson
Uppsala, 30th December, 2011
Dear Jake,
Our most heartfelt congratulations on your 90th birthday.
We were happy to hear from your Christmas letter – many thanks - that you continue to be in good health and are roaming the US from east to west and from north to south visiting family and friends.
We – and the entire family – are also in good health. We hope you received our Christmas e-mail letter and card with picture of our eleven grandchildren. Peter’s three children are sitting in the middle row to the right – Josefine in the middle (with our youngest grandchild, Matilda (Niklas’ daughter), in her knee), Michael and Jonathan. The picture is taken this summer when we celebrated Birgitta’s 75th birthday – a bit in advance.
The whole family will come here on 15th January to “throw out the Christmas tree” – a tradition we try to maintain with all children, in-laws and grandchildren gathered. And, as part of our tradition, we will celebrate by eating a traditional American Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner with gravy, stuffing, wild rice, sweet potatoes, cranberries, etc. – we wish you could join us.
This brings us to sweet and fond memories from 1959-62 in Madison, where we spent our first married years, got Peter, Nils took his Ph.D. and we had the great fortune to being invited to your house as part of the UoW foreign student program. We still remember the Thanksgiving Dinners, the Barbeques, the “baby sittings” with your daughters, etc. and the hospitality you and Marian and the girls treated us with on several occasions during those tuff, but happy, years.
In particular we remember that you took us to The Lutheran Church on University Avenue, where Peter was baptized with Marian and you as Godmother and Godfather. Peter is still an American citizen – and Swedish.
You took us to other church events, like Sunday services, barbeques, square dancing, etc. But we were not very religious - or busy studying - and did not attend very often. Or was it that during our first square dance practise Nils collided so forcefully with the reverend that he (the rev.) fell to the floor!?
We also, dearly, remember your and Marion’s visit to our new home outside Uppsala in 1982. You were on a trip to Europe, that included Stockholm and you took a day off tome to Uppsala to see us. We had just moved into the house and a couple of day later we were leaving for Kenya for a four year assignment, leaving Peter to take care of the house while studying at Uppsala University. Our house was very sparsely furnished – it is better now – but we managed to treat you to a rather Swedish dinner and had a few hours to exchange memories.
During the fall we spent considerable time to computerize all slide pictures from our years in the US, Ethiopia and Kenya. They brought up lots of fine memories, smiles and tears. We attach a few pictures and hope they will add to your memories as you celebrate your big day – we just wish we were there.
Our very best wishes to you and your family and warm congratulations on your birthday.
With love
Birgitta and Nils Isaksson
Jake, on the occasion this January 25th, your 90th birthday, I want to send our gratitude for your service to our great nation. I trust you and all the members of the 451 BS will know that you have a home here with us.
Grace and Peace,
Steve Paschall and Maj James Esenwein
Pensacola, Florida
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