73 Years Ago
The hot month of August is here. The month Mom and Dad were wed on August 15, 73 years ago.
They were married at First Christian Church in Lincoln, but there were no guests, no reception and no cake. It was the depression, no money. The Midwest was in the grip of a severe drought. Dad always said, "We were married on the day the corn dried up." Mom's cousin Lola Strohecker and Dad's best friend Joe Luschinger stood up with them.
Mom never talked about her wedding day; nor the honeymoon. Guess I never really asked. It was their old photo album that gave me these clues. I can't believe how many times I realize I meant to ask Mom something and never got around to it.
Did you know one of Dad's favorite nicknames for Mom was "Toots." He would grin and call her Toots, and Mom would get all flustered and blush. They had a lot of special looks, inside jokes, the things that help cement a marriage through the hard times.
Most years Mom and Dad celebrated their anniversary very quietly. In later years they always managed to be on one of their camping trips. Mom never tired of talking about all of the places they went and all of the things they saw down through the years. They managed to travel to both coasts. How Dad loved walking along the beaches of the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. One anniversary they drank a toast to each other and celebrated their anniversary at their campsite somewhere in the Grand Tetons. They did manage to be at home in Pleasant Dale for their 50th anniversary. Joe and I surprised them with a family gathering at our place in Pleasant Dale. This time there was a cake.
Dad died just shortly after their 59th wedding anniversary. He told me he felt he had a good life; he was ready to die. Mom told me he did say he was sad that she couldn't come with him on this last trip. For 13 years, Mom struggled even more with her bouts of depression during the month of August. Now she is at peace; Dad is also--together again.
Remembering Mom and Dad
I did create a photo video using pictures of Mom and Dad down through the years. You can view it at the link below.
