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Club Business: Sept: 22 - 27, Zion River RV Resort, Utah. Cabins available! Sign-ups mid-July. Homemade RV: I was at a quilting meeting the other day and the speaker brought up an RV that her grandpa had built from the ground up from 1922 to 1924. Seems I just can't get away from RVs! After the meeting I asked the speaker, Patz Corey, for the complete story. What follows is a summary: In 1922 during the Depression, my grandpa's family of 10 lived in Joplin, Missouri. Grandpa, a marble mason, was laid off, but he wasn't depressed. He saw this as the perfect opportunity for his dream to build a motor home and move his family across the country to Pasadena, California. Also in 1922, the Ford produced the first long-bed, heavy-duty suspension Model T. These Model T's were purchased and built into trucks mostly by farmers for hauling produce, but grandpa had a whole different idea. These trucks cost $600 (about $9,000 in today's dollars), truly a great deal of money for a family with eight children. Grandpa would need another $200 to outfit and build the RV for the long trip. It took most of their savings. Grandpa worked odd jobs until the motorhome was complete. When it was ready, they sold their home and belongings except the basic they would need for the trip. It took them six weeks to go from Joplin to Pasadena. At that time, there were no interstate highways, often no paved roads, and sometimes no roads at all. That's where grandpa's long planks came in. While inside the motorhome, they served as benches, bunks, and tables. When the RV ran out of road, the planks were slid out of the RV and placed in front of it. Grandma drove the RV over the planks, and Grandpa and the children ran back and got the other planks to put in front of the RV again. This exhausting procedure often lasted for miles. The RV's scant sleeping arrangements meant grandpa and the oldest children slept outside in a tent while grandma and the youngest ones slept inside. The bathroom you ask? It was over yonder behind a bush. The family arrived safe and sound in Pasadena after their six- week journey. That homemade RV was grandpa's equivalent to a covered wagon in their hard-won trek to the Golden State. 30 | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | MAY 2019 | We had our first potluck of the year and we enjoyed sampling all of the varied dishes that our members prepared for this event. Our next potluck is scheduled for June 26 so put it on your calendar and come out and enjoy an evening of camaraderie with your friends. Due to the repairs that are scheduled this month at the South Clubhouse, we had to cancel our Reader's Theater performance of "My Man Godfrey." The Reader's Theater has been postponed until next spring. We always welcome suggestions from the membership of radio plays that you enjoyed listening to when you were young and would like to hear again. If you've ever thought about directing a play, this is a good way to start your experience. We will provide mentoring for you if you're interested. Lee Stone will direct our fall production of "It's A Wonderful Life" in October. Auditions are scheduled for July 18 and 19 so put these dates on your calendar. More information will follow next month regarding this production. Our meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 1 pm in the Main Clubhouse Ballroom. If you have any interest in acting, helping backstage, volunteering for other jobs, or are curious about what we do, come join us to see what we are all about. Join our Facebook group "Sun Lakes Playhouse" for more information as it happens. For membership information, please contact Sue Dunn at (951) 769-7552 or at alsuedunn@gmail.com 1922 RV Built by Ray Minkler

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