TABLE OF CONTENTS, CHAPTER ONE, “WE FAMILY”
I will be publishing a book of about 55-60 stories about my family on this website. In the first chapter, I recall meeting and courting Phyllis. We were married in 1958 when I was 18 and Phyllis was 17. Shortly I will be 80 and my wife will be 79. The first chapter was the easiest to write and will please the sentimental romantic among you.
The title of the book is based on an incident which occurred in 1963 when we were Germany. I came home one day after work, Phyllis met me at the door and we were hugging each other, when our oldest son, who was 18 months, old reached up with his hands and said “hold me”. So I picked him up and held him between us. Rick placed an arm each of us and said, “we family.”
That has been our family motto since then. Whenever one us needs help, another(s) will respond, whether it is 12 miles or 1,200 miles, help will come. Stories in the first chapter are best read in sequence since the story line carries forward. Stories in the following chapters more or less stand alone, however each has its chronological order.
The stories in this chapter are listed below. To read the story 1, type “first time” in search box, after reading the story, notice a link to the next story at bottom right of page. A glitch put story 7 at the end and skips number 10. Short term solution, read 7 as last and then put “frst year” in search box.
1. First time I met Phyllis
2. Day I left home
3. Meeting Phyllis
4. Day after Dancing
5. Returning home
6. Courting Phyllis
7. Shock party
8. Will you marry me
9. Marriage
10. First year