AS USUAL EACH EXPERIENCE IS SET IN MY MEMORY AS THE FOLLOWING TALE RELATES.
SHORTLY AFTER THE WAR I MET THE MOST WONDERFUL WOMEN. FIVE FOOT TALL AND THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BLONDE THAT I HAD EVER SEEN. AND FOR SOME CRAZY REASON SHE FELL FOR ME. WE HAD A GREAT LIFE TWO BOYS OF OUR OWN AND WE HAD FOUR FOSTER GIRLS THAT I STILL KEEP IN CONTACT WITH. OF COURSE THRU THE COURSE OF OUR LIFE WE HAD THE NORMAL SPATS, BUT SHE HAD A GREAT WAY OF SOLVING ALMOST ANY DISPUTE. SHE WOULD QUIET DOWN AND THE SILENCE WOULD GIVE ME TIME TO THINK AND USUALLY I WAS A FAULT.
WE WERE GOING STEADY. WE WENT TO NIGHT CLUBS ON WEEKENDS. MOVIES AND MUCH MORE THINGS THAT WE BOTH ENJOYED TOGETHER.
THIS PARTICULAR EVENING WE WENT TO A NIGHT CLUB AND AS USUAL I WAS TRYING VERY HARD TO PLAY THE BIG SHOT. EVERY TIME THE WAITRESS WOULD BRING DRINKS WHICH AT THAT TIME A BOTTLE OF BEER WAS THIRTY FIVE CENTS I WOULD GIVE HER A FIVE DOLLAR BILL AND TELL HER TO KEEP THE CHANGE. THIS WAS STUPID I KNOW BUT WHEN A PERSON IS IN LOVE I GUESS THEY DON'T THINK. I WASN'T MAKING A HECK OF A LOT OF MONEY AND I GUESS I DID MAKE QUITE AN IMPRESSION. THE LAST OF THE BIG SPENDERS. HA! HA!/ THE NEXT MORNING I LOOKED IN MY WALLET AND FOUND THAT I WAS ALMOST BROKE. THIS WORRIED ME ALL DAY, AND THAT EVENING I CALLED MY LOVELY GIRLFRIEND AND ASK HER IF I HAD DROPPED ANY MONEY OR IF SHE HAD ANY IDEA WHERE I HAD SPENT SO MUCH... SHE JUST LAUGHED AND SAID THAT EACH TIME I WOULD TRY TO TIP THE WAITRESS SHE WOULD TAKE THE MONEY AND PUT IT IN HER POCKET. THAT SWEETHEART HAD SURE SAVED THE DAY FOR ME.
SHORTLY AFTER THAT I ASKED THIS WONDERFUL YOUNG GIRL IF SHE WOULD BE MY WIFE. HER ANSWER WAS YES. AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE THIS STARTS ANOTHER STORY.
WE SET THE DATE FOR THE 20TH. OF SEPTEMBER OF 1946 AND AFTER ALL THE ARRANGEMENTS WERE MADE THE DAY I HAD WISHED FOR CAME TRUE. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE CHURCH THERE WAS A GOOD CROWD, SOME FAMILY AND SOME FROM THE PLACE I WORKED.
THE MINISTER WAS QUITE ELDERLY AND THE ONLY THING THEY I CAN FIGURE IS THAT HE HAD MARRIED A COUPLE BEFORE US OR HE HAD A COUPLE WAITING TO GET MARRIED AFTER US. THE MINISTER HAD A SMALL CARD WITH THE NAMES OF EACH COUPLE ON IT. THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM I'M GOING TO TELL YOU ABOUT NOW...
MY BRIDE TO BE WAS THELMA DELORES AND MY NAME IS JOHN ARTHUR. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SIMPLE CEREMONY BUT AS USUAL SOMETHING WENT WRONG. I THINK THAT THE CARD WITH OUR NAMES ON IT FLIPPED THE WRONG WAY WHEN HE OPENED THE BIBLE. BECAUSE THIS IS THE WAY THE CEREMONY WENT.. THE MINISTER PROCEEDED THRU THE FIRST PART ALRIGHT AND WHEN HE CAME TO THE FINAL PART HE SAID DO YOU JOHN SCHROEDER TAKE THEE DOROTHY JANE FOR YOUR LAWFUL WEDDED HUSBAND? THELMA REPLIED I DO. DO YOU JOHN SCHROEDER TAKE THEE DOROTHY JANE FOR YOUR LAWFUL WEDDED WIFE? I REPLIED I DO. THEN THEN MINISTER SAID JOHN SCHROEDER AND DOROTHY JANE I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU MAN AND WIFE..
IT WASN'T UNTIL THE CEREMONY WAS OVER THAT MY FATHER IN LAW WENT UP AND TOLD THE OLD GENTLEMAN THAT HE HAD MADE A TERRIBLE MISTAKE. THE MINISTER REPLIED IT DON'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE THEIR MARRIED AND THAT'S IT.
WE HAD A WONDERFUL HONEYMOON AND WHEN I RETURNED TO WORK EVEN MY TIME CARD HAD BEEN CHANGED TO JOHN SCHROEDER. WE GOT A LOT OF LAUGHS THRU THE YEARS OVER THAT ONE.
AS OUR CHILDREN GOT A LITTLE OLDER I WOULD KID THEM TELLING THEM THAT WE WEREN'T REALLY LEGALLY MARRIED BUT THAT WE WERE WAITING FOR THEM TO GROW UP AND COME TO THE WEDDING.. IT SHOOK THEM UP FOR AWHILE BUT THEY KNEW I WAS KIDDING.