I have been and continue to be somewhat impetuous. Whether by nature or nurture, this trait seems to have come from my parents. There are many stories about my father’s impetuous nature, and not so many about my mother. This one, however, finds them as witting accomplices and is a story that as far as I can tell, not one of us children knew – until now.
Mom and Dad knew each other from a very early age. As the story goes, both Grandma Julia and Grandma Vena belonged to the same quilting club in Marysville, Kansas, in the early 1930’s when my parents were infants. However the Schimmels family soon moved to Frankfort, Kansas, thus ending any childhood romance.
Fast forward to the summer of 1948. In the time between, the Schimmels had since moved to the 3 story home on 16th Street in Manhattan, Kansas. Grandma Julia operated a boarding house, there, for students attending what at the time was Kansas State College (now Kansas State University). Ross had served in the army at the end of World War 2, and was now attending classes at the local college. Doris had graduated Marysville High School in 1946, and was at the time of this story, attending summer classes at KSC. A post card from that summer of a dormitory Hall at K-State, sent home by my mother, has survived. Mom had bound it into place with adhesive corners into our family album, along with another of the Lake of the Ozarks. While we knew that Mom and Dad had their honeymoon at the lake, we (at least I) had no appreciation for the seemingly unimportant picture of a dorm. In fact, I doubt that until they both passed, that any of us had read the back side of it. In its innocent details revealed by my mother’s cursive on the back, along with actions shortly to follow, the impetuous nature of my parents’ love is derived.
From her postcard, postmarked June 26, 1948, my mother writes to her parents.
“Hi all,
You can share this with people who want to know where you’ve put me for the summer. X marks the spot.
Do you remember the Schimmels. I met Ross Schimmels at an hour dance here. I have a date with him for church, a picnic, and a show — all on Sunday. Johnny and I are still going strong. Studies, too. We were at a millionaire’s home last night.
Write,
Love, Doris D.”
I’m not sure who Johnny is, and how they were “going strong,” but my father, Ross, got the upper hand pretty quickly. June 26th was a Saturday, so Mom had her date with him the next day, June 27th. Exactly 7 weeks later, on Sunday, August 15th, 1948, Mom and Dad were married at 6:00PM!
So the next time I look before I leap, I will know just exactly where I got that trait.
The 7 week engagement is amazing, but I was also struck by the date: Church, picnic, and a show – must have been quite the date.