Tuesday, March 18, 2014

How We Met

March 18th, 1955, it was on a Sat. evening, Abe and I ran into each other accidentally. I had not seen him for about four years.

I know a friend of mine, who was expecting a diamond from her boyfriend, told me she had received a note through a friend of Abe's he would like to talk to her if she was free. She asked me what I thought she should do, I told her if she loved the fellow she was expecting a diamond from, why would she mess it up seeing Abe.

Had no idea a few days later him and I would run into one another. I worked for a restaurant in the other end of town, we closed around 8pm, so after I went home, changed into my jeans and met my girl friend, we went to a place my Aunt owned, called Smitty's. Another restaurant and we would get something to eat and play the jukebox. Abe came in to pick up a pack of cigarettes. He left, then came back in, came over to our booth and talked for a while. When we finished eating, he said he would drop us off at our homes, my girl firned's house was several blocks ahead of my house, so she got dropped off first. We got to my house and an aunt and uncle that usually seemed to visit later, were just arriving, so he asked if I would like to ride to Greenville so we could talk.

Then when he dropped me off, he asked me out for a date the next night to see the movie Battle Cry. I think he made it to the school every day at my lunch break and after school to pick me up. He was home on leave to visit his Father who was very ill.

April 1st. he gave me a diamond. He said he wouldn't get back home again until Dec. 1955, so we planned on getting married then. Plus I was to graduate from High School that May 1955, which I did. But his Father passed away in June, Red Cross got him home in July. He was staying at a friends house. We decided to go ahead and get married in July. That will soon be 59 years ago this coming July 12th.

We rented a small furnished apartment, got an old 1950 Buick with some savings bonds his Father had left in Abe's name. Abe did get a 30 day extension on his leave, and had to fly back to Japan before Labor day 1955. The first month after he was gone I noticed I was not feeling too well, discovered I was pregnant. I still jokingly tell him, if it hadn't been for that 30 day extension, the first baby wouldn't have arrived as early as she did. He got home, sometime around the second week of May, first baby arrived June 1st. 1956. We had to leave for Baltimore, Md, to get to his Army base. Found a furnished apartment, and got settled in. He was to be discharged in May 1956, but I got pregnant very quickly after the first one, and since the baby was due in May 1957, I was told by the Army doctors to go back to Ohio in March of 57.

My parents came and got me and I lived with them, along with my sister, two brothers and the first baby. It was a full house. Then when Abe got discharged, he also moved in while we were trying to get our little house in the big town of Gordon painted and ready. This was a four room house, no plumbing or running water, but it was home to us. And the story goes on, third baby arrived in July 1958, had gall bladder surgery when she was 3 months old, and again about 18 months later. They thought they missed some gravel that had turned tos tones, but it was adhesion's. After several more years, our 4th. child arrived in March 1962, then we moved to Brookville in Dec. 62 and we've been here every since.

We now have five grown children and five grandchildren, oldest grandchild is 32, youngest is 14. Not sure if we will ever have any great grandchildren. Life has been pretty good for both Abe and myself. We have health problems, but then again, things could be worse then what they are.



















3 comments:

Small City Scenes said...

A sweet love story. Looking back is so much fun. I met my future husband in 1956 and we married as soon as I was out of school in 1957.
We married young back then. But it was fun. MB

Jackie said...

I loved reading every word of this, Patty! Thank you soooooo much for sharing it with me.
What a busy young life you and Abe had....and a lovely family, too.
I'm so glad that you met, married and have this beautiful family together. You have celebrated wedding anniversaries for many many years. What a tremendous accomplishment for you both!
I pray for blessings on you and on Abe....and on your health.
Love you,
Jackie

ChrisJ said...

So good to know your story. Like many, many others, I guess. I met my husband in 1957 and we were married in '59. They've been good years with the usual ups and downs. Mostly ups and now the usual old age problems, but so happy with where we are and all that we've been able to do down through the years. Blessings on you both!