A Love Story –
This was a hastily put together speech I gave because those who were to give speeches didn’t show up! I remember it fondly because when I got to the 7 minute mark (where I am supposed to stop) and said I’d better wrap it up – the audience said ‘No, no – it’s okay – keep going!’ I guess they liked it!


Dad was orphaned young and he grew up hungry in the 30’s in Gloversville, NY. He quit school before the ninth grade and ‘rode the rails’ having been befriended by an older boy of about 20 or 21. They rode from NY to GA to all the way out West and held many different kinds of jobs – including being a roustabout for a circus!

I don’t know the particulars of how or at what age but Dad ended up in the CCC’s (Civilian Conservation Corp) an arm of government set up to get ‘orphans’ off the streets of the cities and into healthier environments which in my Dad’s case was a camp in Utah or Idaho where he worked logging.

He often said of himself that he was a jack of all trades and a master of none. He was actually a master at quite a few.

For a basically shy man he was a wonderful storyteller. He taught himself to play guitar and harmonica and over his short life he entertained thousands. (see ‘The Git Fiddle’ to be posted shortly)

Mom grew up in a large family a bit better off than Dad’s just down the road from him in Broadalbin. She lived in a big house with her Mom and Dad and 9 brothers and sisters. She was the first in her family to graduate from High School. My Mom was attractive and out-going and a bit naïve.

When my Dad returned from the CCC’s he got himself a job at the local roller rink in my Mom’s hometown. He cleaned up and helped put skates on with those old skate keys. Mom noticed him right away but of course being a well bred young lady had to resort to ‘the ways of young girls’ to get Dad to notice her. Thing is he had noticed her too, but being shy he didn’t do much about it – even though he was aware that she was ‘flirting’ with him. But then again, she was a huge flirt with all the boys. Sometimes one those boys might take it a little too seriously and Mom would run off to where Dad was and just sort of ‘hang out’ – the other guy would get the message – and I guess so did my Dad.

Eventually, he started walking the railroad tracks from his home in Gloversville to Mom’s in BroadAlbin and would climb the tree outside her house and play his harmonica for her. He was too shy to come inside and meet her parents.

Mom thought Dad wasn’t moving quite fast enough however and decided she would get herself engaged to someone else and wait for Dad to finally come forward and proclaim his love for her when he realized he was about to lose her to another man. Unfortunately Dad missed the message and feeling on the rebound got himself married to a young lady named Daisy.

They moved to Detroit for a few months and then Dad went off to World War II. He served in the Pacific on a radar platform – his job was to find incoming enemy aircraft for the gunners. He was injured and spent many months in the hospital learning to walk again. During that time he found out that his wife Daisy was having an affair with his brother Art. Since Dad hadn’t really married her for love – he quietly divorced Daisy. (Daisy and Art were together for over 40 years themselves!).

My Mom caught wind of all this drama and began corresponding with Dad while he was in the hospital overseas. She had decided he wasn’t getting away from her again. She became much more straight forward about her intentions and met him at the ship in Baltimore MD when he was discharged. She got herself on a train and travelled all by herself – away from home for the first time in her life – to meet him there – and marry him. There was no way Dad was going to miss this message.
They spent a night in NYC – saw Gone With The Wind in a big Theatre and then started their life together. A life of surprises and many changes for my Mother. Dad completed HS and then college on the GI Bill. He became a teacher and moved us way from ‘the family.’ Of course over the years they were together there were many good times and many hardships and many stories. They were friends and lovers and true soul mates. They truly did ‘complete’ each other.

One such story was the ‘Git Fiddle’ posted here earlier. Another story that was not so funny or sweet but attests to their bond happened when I was around 12 or 13. It was a family reunion. Everyone was drinking and pretty much drunk – including my Dad and maybe even Mom. Apparently, it’s all a bit fuzzy even though I was there, one of my uncles said something disparaging about Mom and made a move toward her – I don’t know what his intentions were but my Dad wasn’t waiting to find out – he picked up an ax and lifted it in the direction of this wayward uncle. At this point my Mom screamed Dad’s name. Gratefully he heard her. He told me many years later when I asked him about the incident, he recalled that he had seen ‘red’, literally, blanking out all other thought or view. All he saw was the red and all he felt was rage and then Mom’s voice pierced through all the red and angry noise in his head – it is what stopped him.

My Mom died from the effects of breast cancer in September of 1972. She confessed to me that she was glad to be ‘going first’ because she didn’t think she ‘could live without Dad.’ It was he she wanted with her as she took her last conscious breathes. Nine Months later my Dad died. I believe he died of a broken heart because he sure was a broken man from his grief. I remember accusing him of not wanting to live. He tried to reassure me – but somehow I knew he really didn’t much want to continue on without Mom. It was ironic that it was Dad who could not live without her. He died on July 4 1973.

We laid him to rest beside my Mother on July 7. It was their wedding anniversary.