Marilyn Hagerty: A hope to spend time with Queen Elizabeth II

Dear Queen Elizabeth,

It’s been a few years since I have written to you in the Herald. I realized that when I read of your 96th birthday in April. And I guess I have told you I’ll be catching up with you at the end of May.

We both were born in 1926. You in April and me in May. A lot of water has gone down the drains since then -- over here in the United States as well as in England. And it’s been a while since my last trip to London. But I have visited your city several times. I always hankered for afternoon tea with you at 4 o’clock, but somehow that never worked out.

Once I took the train that goes under the water from London to Paris. I wonder if it is still running?

There have been so many times when I wished you could come back again to the United States. I figured you could find your way to Winnipeg. Then you could take a bus down here to “the Forks.” I think you would like to see the grounds of the University of North Dakota as well as our city parks.

Our Grand Forks City Band plays summer concerts at the grounds of the Myra Museum and the Grand Forks Historical Society. That’s right along the Red River that flows north to Canada and Winnipeg. And Beyond.

Right now we’re trying to shred late winter and we have been welcoming back the winter traveler. Many go south to keep warm. The lake people are opening up their summer homes. Many go over to the Bemidji area. That’s in Minnesota.

Many people take pictures of their children by the statue of Babe and the Blue Ox. Really.

We’re worried about the situation with Russia invading the Ukraine area. Some of my friends fear it could be the beginning of World War 3. We look on England as a friendly country. My older brothers were over there in England during World War 2. One flew on Missions from London. And the other was with the ground crews in Germany. They both came home.

We’d rather think of the good days in May that are coming up now. The farmers are getting anxious to get out in the fields when all the melting snow finally is gone. There are beautiful farms here in the Red River Valley. The birds have all been coming back after their annual trips down south.

I think maybe they stop in Brookings, S.D., for a snack. At any rate, they had been finding their way north. And on to Winnipeg. (We call it “the Peg”.)

Respectfully,

Marilyn at the Grand Forks Herald