Henry was a very early user of dating clubs. He wrote women all over the country in an effort to find a mate. He wrote dozens and dozens of them over thirty years…

Letter to Essense June 3 1962

“…Altho I think I am a pleasant and agreeable person with a smile for everyone, I have to admit that I doubt if ever I could bring myself to smile into a mirror. In fact, I have grown so old and ugly that I avoid mirrors and never peer into one except when I shave…”

Letter to Wilda September 9 1959

“…I also have a crippled leg, but really it is more like a club foot. When young, I loved to ride motorcycles and broke my ankle twice in the same spot. But I have always hiked long distances and climbed mountains. Two years ago, I took up running. With my foot, I thought I could never run, but a friend up in Colorado encouraged me to try and now I am able to run up to eight miles. And I can take a mountain trail for sixteen or eighteen miles and run half or more of the distance…”

“… I’d rather sleep under the stars than in the finest hotel.”

“…Please don’t worry about your lack of education. You do write a very nice letter and I think you have beautiful handwriting. So many people write so fast, I have difficulty reading what they have written. And the older I get, the more important seem the things of the heart and the things of the head get more and more insignificant. Some of the most cultured and best informed people I have known have had very little or no time in school. I think one should always be a student with an open mind for new ideas and ways to improve himself and help those with who he comes in contact.”

Letter to “Zale” February 6th 1961

“…As to the photo, the only thing I have of recent date is this little “passport” photo and I hate to send it as they always make one appear like a criminal. In general I have found pictures very deceiving. I have seen pictures that represented people to be actually ugly and then when I saw them, I thought they were beautiful. And in other cases it have been the other way around. I would be happy for your kindness in sending a picture and will send this little one if you insist but I am sure it will give the wrong impression. I have had very disappointing experiences. People naturally expect me to be nice and neat like my letters, but I will always be awkward and ungainly in appearance. I am too thin and bald in front. I always try to be nice to every one, but I never count too much on anything until people have a good look at me…”

Letter to “Christal” December 31 1959

“…Did I tell you that I indulge in mountain climbing and distance running? In a week or two, I want to run over to my daughter’s. This is 8 miles from here. I hiked over once, in an hour and a half, but I had to run the last mile to make it in this time. The last part is through the city streets and I imagine those who see me think I’m nuts. But I’ll go early or late so fewer people will be on the streets.”

Skip to Henry’s wife – An Interlude