This is a “blast-from-the-past” project update that just keeps getting better as time passes!
Ten-year-old Patty R. of Rock Island, Illinois, wrote to Happy Hollisters author Jerry West (aka Andrew Svenson) in April of 1961. Her letter arrived on his 51st birthday on May 8—coincidentally this was also the day that he was named a partner in the Stratemeyer Syndicate. We imagine he was in a jolly mood all day long!
In his reply, Jerry West wrote:
Dear Patty,
A most pleasant way to start celebrating my birthday is to receive a letter telling me that both you and your brother have read all of the Happy Hollister books and think they are wonderful.
At present I am writing a real spooky one called THE HAUNTED HOUSE MYSTERY which will be published next winter. Meanwhile another story titled THE COWBOY MYSTERY will be published next fall.
Unfortunately, Patty, I cannot send you the autographed picture that you requested. You see, I receive so many letters asking for photographs that it would be impossible to send them all. If you will imagine what Mr. Hollister looks like, you will have a very good picture of me indeed! [Note: beginning in late 1961, in response to numerous requests for photographs, a publicity photo of Andrew Svenson was sent out to represent “Jerry West.”]
It was very thoughtful of you to write to me. Your letter certainly started my birthday off with a bang! I hope that you and your brother will continue reading more about the exciting mysteries solved by the Happy Hollisters.
Your friend,
Jerry West
We found an updated address for Patty in Lombard, Illinois, in January 2024 and sent her a letter. She immediately left a message on our answering machine: “You made my day exclamation point” and followed up with an email:
You don’t know how thrilled I was to get your letter today! So excited that I took a picture of the envelope and sent it to my brother, Jim, before I even opened it and said to him “What do you think this can be?!”
I have managed to obtain all 33 Hollister books. Several of them I wasn’t able to get until I was in my 40s at least. But I’ve read all of them! It was fun to look for them and my sister-in-law finally found the last two that I needed on the internet and gave them to me for Christmas one year.
I did call and leave a message at your store. I still have the original letter that your grandfather sent me in 1961. It is in my safe! Again, I am so happy that you looked for me and found me!
Patty
Patty followed up with another email in February and said:
I would be very honored to have you include my letter and any other information in your blog. My brother and I still say “yikes” and “crickets” when we want to get a laugh from each other. I was really happy to learn new words to add to my vocabulary when I was 8 years old. The first new word I learned was “lanky” as in “lanky Ricky.” That was on the back cover before I even opened the book!
In third grade, I wrote to the president and asked for his picture and autograph. When President Eisenhower sent me his picture, I shared it with my teacher. She then had a great idea that our whole class at Audubon School should write to someone famous. So we did! I’m not sure how all of my classmates liked that one, but about half received answers and shared them at school. After writing Jerry West and hearing back, I also wrote Dr. Seuss and got a reply after many months.
I decided to be a teacher and spent 32 years as a special education teacher. My own two children also enjoyed the Happy Hollisters.
Thank you again for writing!
Patty
This email prompted us to use “lanky” as our Word of the Week on social media. When Patty saw this, more childhood memories came flooding back and she wrote again, saying:
I was thrilled to hear that you are using “lanky” for your “word of the week.” It’s just amazing how often I think of things that were written in those books and remember certain parts like I read them yesterday. I’m sure that the books that included the blind and deaf children got me interested in working with special education students. My brother and I still say “yikes” and “crickets” to each other all the time.
We often use chopsticks at home, and I always think about Sue when she got rice in her hair because she was learning to use chopsticks. And when she called Mrs. Villamil “Mrs. Vanilla.”And how you can put a clean stone in your mouth when you are thirsty, and it keeps you from getting more thirsty. And “red sky in morning, sailor take warning. Red sky at night—sailors delight.” I think that’s how it went. At least I remember the idea!
And how one of the Hollisters said they were “the flyingest family in Shoreham.” And Tinker and Indy . . .
Thanks again for contacting me!
Now fast forward to October 2025. In addition to the blast-from-the-past project that we work on in our spare time, we’ve also been compiling an inventory of the thousands of other documents that we’ve inherited from Andrew Svenson. Last week we came across a file labeled “Interesting Letters” and found it was filled with fan mail that was forwarded to Andrew Svenson’s widow, Marian, in the years following his death in 1975. Andrew’s assistant, Lilo Wuenn, had supplied Marian with blank sheets of Jerry West’s stationery so that she could continue responding to the letters that were still trickling into the Stratemeyer Syndicate.
This letter, dated June 27, 1984, caught our eye:
Dear Mr. West,
When I was a little girl, I read every Happy Hollister book that you had written, and at one time I wrote you a letter, telling you how much I enjoyed your books (my brother read them all, too).
You answered me back and told me that my letter had reached you on your birthday, and you were glad that we enjoyed your books so much.
I am now 33 years old, with 2 children of my own. When I was at the village library last week, I discovered some of the Happy Hollister books there, and was really excited to see some new ones that I hadn’t read before.
I checked out “The Happy Hollisters” and “The Happy Hollisters and the Scarecrow Mystery” (my all-time favorite). I started reading “The Happy Hollisters” to my 5-year-old daughter, Jenny, yesterday, and she wouldn’t let me stop reading until I couldn’t even talk any more, on page 80! I’m so thrilled that she likes them! She can identify with Holly—I remember pretending I was Pam.
I wanted you to know how very much we enjoy your books, and wondered if you could send me a list of all the titles of the Happy Hollister books. I want to make sure we read them all!
Thank you for your time, and for your wonderful books.
Your friends in Lombard,
Patty and Jenny
Yes—that’s the same Patty—33 years old and the mother of two children! There was no carbon copy of a letter from Marian Svenson in the file, so we sent this off immediately to Patty to find out if she had received a reply of some sort in 1984. She responded:
I was thrilled to receive a copy of the letter I wrote to you when I was 33 years old. Now my daughter Jenny (Jen now) has two boys of her own. Her oldest is 11 and could easily pass for Pete, as he is smart, curious, and very kind. Her 8-year-old is a perfect “Ricky.” He’s non-stop energy, ready to try anything, and very smart. No red hair, though.
I didn’t remember writing that second letter, but it certainly was from me. I now own a copy of every Happy Hollister book. They have their own dedicated shelf in our “Kids’ Room.”
I don’t believe I received a response until now, but this is every bit as exciting now as if I did then . . . Thank you for making my day!
From 1961 to 1984 to 2025—what an amazing journey of friendship between Jerry West and his family with elementary-age Patty, “Mom” Patty, and retired Patty. We are so very honored to be able to keep this relationship alive!
Patty today, with her prized collection of Happy Hollisters books. Her family did a lot of camping, so River Trip and the Scarecrow Mystery were her favorite books in the series.