Weldon took the last final exam for his M.S. in library science on Saturday morning, July 30, 1977. (The movers had packed up their belongings the day before, and Weldon, Barbara and Anthea had stayed in the TraveLodge the night before the exam.) Barbara, Anthea, and Weldon planned to take their Volkswagen across Illinois and Iowa to Lincoln immediately after the exam and start work Monday morning, August 1, as the Music Cataloger for the University of Nebraska. (They had visited Lincoln two weekends earlier to arrange housing at 2406 “T” Street in Lincoln.)
As it turned out, Weldon got sick Friday night and almost didn’t make it to the exam. After taking the final on Saturday, he returned to the TraveLodge. On Monday morning he phoned Charles Chamberlain (the HR person) at the University of Nebraska. They arrived a few days late, and Weldon started cataloging.
Anthea in her pumpkin costume, all set to go trick-or-treating on Halloween, October 31, 1977, at 2406 “T” Street, Lincoln, Nebraska.Anthea and Barbara. Anthea is wearing the pumpkin costume Barbara made her for Halloween. Taken October 31, 1977, at 2406 “T” Street, Lincoln, NE.Anthea and Weldon, 2406 “T” Street, Lincoln, Nebraska, October 31, 1977.Weldon, Anthea, and Barbara on Christmas Day in their apartment at 2406 “T” Street, Lincoln, Nebraska.
On December 29, 1977, the family moved into a brand new “FHA 235” home at 3040 Hitchcock in Lincoln.
Anthea with her grandmother, Erline Whipple, December 29, 1977, in their new house at 3040 Hitchcock.Anthea with her grandfather, Walter LeGrand Whipple, 3040 Hitchcock, Lincoln, Nebraska, December 29, 1977.
1978
Anthea, January 1, 1978, taken at 3040 Hitchcock, Lincoln, NebraskaL–R: Anthea, Barbara, Weldon, Sharon Smith, David Smith (Barbara’s brother) holding Bryant Smith. David was working on a Ph.D in computer science at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Then stopped to see us at our new house in Lincoln. This might have been taken on January 5, 1978. If not that day, it occurred before June 1978.
John was born on June 5, 1978 at the Bryan Memorial Hospital (named after William Jennings Bryan) in Lincoln.
Expectant mother Barbara in the kitchen at 3040 Hitchcock, Lincoln, Nebraska, spring 1978.John on his birthday, June 5, 1978.John wearing more clothes, Lincoln, Nebraska, June 1978John a few days later, June 1978, at home in Lincoln, NE.L–R: Weldon, Anthea holding John, Barbara, shortly after arrival from the Bryan Memorial Hospital to home at 3040 Hitchcock, Lincoln, NE. June 1978.Anthea (left) at the Lincoln Airport awaiting the arrival of Grandma Donnette Stringham Smith. Next to her is an unidentified youngster, also waiting for the plane. June 1978, shortly after John’s birth.Barbara’s mother, Donnette Smith, visited in Lincoln for a few weeks in June 1978 to help take care of John and Anthea while Weldon worked.Anthea and John on July 2, 1978, being held by their grandfather, Walter LeGrand Whipple. It was Anthea’s 3rd birthday and the day John was given a name (John Weldon Whipple) and a blessing at church.
Weldon, Barbara, Anthea, and John all drove to Idaho Falls in August for a vacation. Weldon’s brother, Wes, returned home from his mission that month.
Barbara (holding John) and Weldon (holding Anthea) on the living room sofa at 1015 N. Blvd., Idaho Falls, August 1978.Weldon’s father and brothers, oldest to youngest, L–R: Walt Sr., Walter Jr., Bill, Weldon, Wilford, Wes, August 1978.Four generations of Whipples, L–R: Weldon (holding daughter Anthea), Walt (holding grandson John), Grandpa Dewey Whipple (Walt’s father), August 1978.Smith cousins, August 1978. Back row L–R: Anthea, Bryant Smith, Kelly Siple. Kimberly Siple in front, holding John.John Whipple at two months of age, August 1978.John, Christmas 1978.Barbara, John and Anthea, Christmas 1978, Lincoln, NebraskaWeldon and Barbara, Christmas Dance at church, 1978.
1979
Weldon holding John, Barbara, and Anthea in the living room at 3040 Hitchcock, Lincoln, Nebraska, May 15, 1979.John Weldon Whipple, May 1979.John on his first birthday, June 5, 1979, Lincoln, NE.Anthea, Christmas Day 1979, Lincoln, Nebraska.John and his model railroad, Christmas 1979, Lincoln, Nebraska
1980
Barbara, John, Anthea, and Weldon were able to fly to Idaho Falls for Wes and Lisa’s wedding. This photo was taken on January 2, 1980.Anthea and John on the front step of the house at 3040 Hitchcock, Lincoln, Nebraska, Easter 1980.Nicholas Christopher “Nicky” Whipple was born in Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital, Lincoln, Nebraska. This photo was taken in May 1980.Barbara’s mother, Donnette Stringham Smith (“Grandma Smith”) visited Lincoln from Idaho Falls to help out when Nicky was born. Here are Anthea, Grandma Smith, and John in Lincoln, May 1980.The whole family at home in Lincoln, Nebraska, May 1980. L–R: Anthea, Weldon, Nicky, Barbara, John.John, Anthea, Grandpa Walter LeGrand Whipple, and Nicky, June 1980, on the day Nicky was blessed in church.Nicholas Christopher, late June 1980. About one month old.Here is the family on Anthea’s 5th birthday, July 2, 1980. L–R: Barbara holding Nicky, Weldon holding two-year-old John, Anthea the birthday girl in her Wonder Woman underwear/costume.Two-year-old John, 1980, Lincoln, Nebraska.6 1/2-year-old Anthea, December 10, 1980, in Lincoln, Nebraska2 1/2-year-old John, December 10, 1980, Lincoln, Nebraska.Grandma and Grandpa Whipple, visiting Lincoln from Idaho Falls. December 10, 1980. L–R: Erline, Anthea, John, Walt.Nicholas Christopher Whipple, December 10, 1980, Lincoln, Nebraska.John and Anthea on Santa’s lap, December 1980.John and Anthea, Christmas morning, 1980.Nicky, Christmas morning 1980.
1981
Nicky, discovering the mirror, early 1981.One-year-old Nicky in May 1981, sitting on a baby chair made by his Uncle Walter. Photo taken in Lincoln, Nebraska.John, Lincoln, Nebraska, May 1981Anthea, Lincoln, Nebraska, May 1981The whole family in Lincoln, May 1981. L–R: Anthea, Barbara, Nicky, Weldon, John.Visiting with Aunt Cindy in Fort Carson, Colorado, Summer 1981. Going clockwise around the table, beginning at extreme left: Michelle Siple, Anthea Whipple, Cynthia Siple (standing), Kimberly Siple, Nicholas Whipple (in high chair), Kelly Siple, John Whipple.Nicholas Whipple, 1 year old, summer 1981, Colorado Springs, Colorado (Garden of the Gods)In August 1981, the family visited grandparents in Idaho Falls, Idaho (traveling from Nebraska). Weldon’s brothers Bill and Wes were working as electricians at for the Northwest Pipeline in Opal, Wyoming. They talked Weldon into going with them for a week or two. This is the natural gas refinery there.Anthea, Nicholas, and John with their great grandfather Earl Joseph Atkinson (Weldon’s maternal grandfather), July/August 1981, at 1015 N. Blvd., Idaho Falls, Idaho.Visiting Barbara’s great aunt Melva Smith (wife of Barbara’s grandfather’s brother) in Springville, Utah, summer 1981. L–R: Anthea in front of Aunt Melva, John in front of Barbara, who is holding Nicholas.Barbara, Nicholas, John and Anthea at the Strategic Air Command (SAC) museum, Offutt Air Force Base, adjacent to Bellevue, Nebraska, summer 1981.Barbara, Nicholas, and John Whipple, December 25, 1981, Lincoln, Nebraska.Barbara, Anthea and John, December 25, 1981, Lincoln, Nebraska.
1982
Family picture in Lincoln, Nebraska, 1982. (Barbara’s watercolor of Palisades Reservoir in background.) L–R: John, Barbara, Nicholas, Weldon, Anthea.John’s birthday, June 5, 1982, Lincoln, Nebraska. At table (beginning at lower left and going clockwise): Brandon Miles, Anthea Whipple, Nicholas Whipple, Jolyn Hunting, John Whipple, Brennan Peterson. Barbara Whipple, standing.Anthea, Weldon, John, Nicky, Barbara, July 1982.Nicholas Whipple at the wedding reception of his aunt Rebecca (Smith) Chapman, July 27, 1982, Idaho Falls, ID.Cousin with their great grandfather Dell Stringham, July 27, 1982. L–R: Bryant Smith, Scott Smith, John Whipple, Anthea Whipple, Michelle Siple, Dell Stringham holding Kirsten Smith, Kimberly Siple, Kelly Siple. Nicholas Whipple sitting in front.Nicholas Whipple demonstrating his equestrian skills, Lincoln, NE, 1982. John in foreground.Thanksgiving 1982, Lincoln, Nebraska. L-R and clockwise: Grandpa Walt Whipple, John, Nicholas, Barbara, Grandma Erline Whipple, Anthea.
1983
Weldon taught Suzuki piano to all four children at one time or another. Here is John playing “Mississippi Hotdog” in April 1983, about two months before his fifth birthday.John, smiling after a piano performance well done, April 1983.Three-year-old Nicky, very close to his 3rd birthday, May 1983, in Lincoln, NE.Barbara, Anthea, John, and Nicholas at Winter Quarters, NE, Memorial Day 1983.John on his fifth birthday, June 5, 1983, Lincoln, Nebraska.John, Nicholas, and Anthea on Anthea’s baptism day, Lincoln, NE, July 1983.Next-door neighbor and best friend Amber Evans with Anthea on her baptism day, July 1983, Lincoln, NEJohn, Nicholas, and Anthea in front of the teepee we slept in at Platt River State Park, NE, August 1983.Nicholas Christopher Whipple, October 1983, age 3.John and Nicholas with grandfather J. Richard Smith, October 25, 1983. Grandparents were visiting in Lincoln, NE, from their home in Idaho Falls, ID.Nicholas and Barbara making pies in Lincoln, NE, October 25, 1983.John playing checkers with grandfather J. Richard Smith, October 25, 1983, Lincoln, NE.John, Anthea, and Nicholas, opening a box of presents from Grandpa and Grandma Smith, October 25, 1983.
Because Weldon would receive a second bachelor’s degree (B.S. in Computer Science) on December 22, 1983, the family would catch a plane from the Lincoln airport to Rochester, MN, and be in a hotel on Christmas. We decided to arrange with Santa Claus to come to our house in Lincoln, a week before Christmas.
Nicky playing with an electric train in Lincoln, NE, on December 18, 1983—celebrating Christmas one week early because the family would be staying in the Fifth Avenue Motel in Rochester, MN, on December 25.
The family spent Christmas day in the Fifth Avenue Motel in Rochester.
