Still In A Uniform

After Douglas mustered out of the U.S. Navy, we settled "back home" in Iowa for about a year.  I didn't find my photo of where we lived until after doing these pages, so that will appear later in these pages along with the story of that year.  He wasn't satisfied with not being able to work on airplanes, so, furniture was stored and we were off to Tulsa, Oklahoma for him to further his education in that field by attending Spartan School of Aeronautics.  We rented a mobile home in the first few months while he went to classes and worked part time for a motorcycle escort service.  That was right up his alley as he had a small motorcycle as a teenager and always loved riding.  Riding the Harley, escorting motorcades for funerals and dignitaries excited him.  After finishing his courses, he was hired on at a company called North American -- back to doing what he did best -- being a hydraulics mechanic -- keeping those airplanes in good condition !!  I had gone to work as a waitress to help supplement our income.  I had no idea I would be in the work force in some way for many years to come --  up to this point, I had only been a wife and mother.  Finances were better, so the family brought our furniture from Iowa to our newly rented home.  Tammy was going to be starting kindergarten and the school was within walking distance -- I look back on those days and think about how much we trusted neighbors and the neighborhood -- Now, I would never think of letting a five year old walk alone or even with buddies those few blocks to and from school and then, when she was older, allowing her to walk a couple of blocks up the street to a strip mall !!!  What could we have been thinking ??  Anyway, life was being good to us, careers were in the making !!

Places Called Home

I have stopped to count the MANY  places that we called home throughout our life together, but, I never remember the number !!  We had  a lot of different roofs over our heads, a lot were furnished rentals, some we owned (or mortgaged !! )  Douglas was in the Navy during our first years together, so moving around became a natural thing for us.  The top photo on the left was a large home in Norman, Oklahoma that had been converted into furnished apartments.  We had the second story, front, one bedroom unit. Douglas was going to aeronautical school, learning the trade that he would use for the rest of his life.  Two weeks after our wedding, he went to Norman, found the apartment, and I followed shortly thereafter. We were there just a few short weeks and then off to Millington, Tennesse for an advanced training school.  There, after a very tedious and long hunt, I found a converted attic apartment in Memphis, 16 miles from the base -- I will never forget one ad for a furnished apartment -- I went to look at it -- oh my !!  It was a rundown shack, broken windows, a bed with an old straw mattress -- wow !  the ad was certainly misleading !!  Tammy was born at the Millington, Tennesse Naval Base hospital one hot August day.  About two weeks later, his Mom, Dad and brother came to meet their new grand-daughter/niece.  I have always loved the photo of  Douglas, holding his new daughter, saying his good-byes when they left to return to Iowa.  October came and we were off again, this time to Quonset Point, Rhode Island.  Douglas had "leave" time, so we spent several days in Iowa for a visit with our families before moving on.  We purchased the 8' x 24' mobile home, hooked it up to that '46 Ford coupe and away we went to the East coast !!  The car was a lot worse for the wear and tear it took towing that "home", but, we made it !!  The mobile home was our roof over our head for the next three years, there in Rhode Island, in Canton, Ohio, then Virginia Beach, Virginia.  I was pregnant, we were going to need more room, we had an opportunity to sell the mobile home, so, we were off on a hunt for a  furnished apartment. I found this little two bedroom cottage just three blocks from the beach -- it certainly wasn't anything fancy, but, we thought being within walking distance of the ocean was the best thing, ever!!  Tammy and I loved going to the beach that summer of  '61.  The landlord, Andy and his wife, lived in a large house at the front of the lot.  Andy and Douglas had many a conversation over that little white picket fence. Look at Tammy trying to be "just like her Dad" !!

The Family of Fishermen (and women)

Why anyone likes to go fishing is something I could never quite understand, but it seems Douglas came from a family of fishermen.  His parents and friends went to Minnesota and Canada off and on for years.  At one time, I think his parents had a cabin on a lake in one or both of those places.  Photos on the left show his parents catches of the day in Minnesota years ago.  The bottom left photo, Douglas is showing off his big catch to his daughter, circa 1961.  The other picture is his grand-daughter, Hilery, showing off her catch, around '84.  Photos on the right were taken while we were living in New Hampshire.  The duplex we rented there was on an acreage, with a large wooded area.  Back in those woods was a fairly large pond where bullheads were easy to catch.  Douglas spent many an hour there and there was always a good fish fry that evening !!

The Prankster

The professional photo of Douglas was taken in 1983 when we were on a trip to Iowa to celebrate his parents 50th wedding anniversary. The snapshot with our Irish setter, Ginger, was back in the late 70's. Douglas mail ordered for the certificate to be a reverend of a church as it was a job that he always thought he would be good at. He did like to preach to me, sometimes !!! He had crazy business cards made up as a fun thing to give to people he met -- always looking to be the jokester !! Also on this page are odds for football bets and horse races, which were fun things he liked to do at the sports books at the casinos.  The Avon Man hat was a spur of the moment gift I gave to him.  I sold Avon products for years and he would always take the brochures to girls that worked at Pepper's, his favorite hangout.  They would give him orders for me and he would deliver them, so he became known as the "Avon Man" !!

Skydiving Fun

Skydiving was on Douglas' "bucket list" for as long as I can remember. He liked all those "risky" to your health and well being adventures !! I came home from work that February 15, 1981 to find him sitting in the recliner with a cast on his ankle AND a big grin on his face. He had made his first solo skydiving jump, only to break an ankle in the adventure of the day. He had been going for lessons for several weeks without telling me or anyone else, as far as I know. He received his certificate for "first jump" and of course, it had to be framed and hung. He never went back to do another dive -- Skydivers in these pictures are from a sport magazine. The photos of him were taken in the mid '80's when we were living in Okinawa.

Noble of the Mystic Shrine

Douglas became a member of the Masonic Lodge in 1972 and later the Akdar Shrine while we lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma. While we were in Okinawa, he became a member of the Aloha Shrine. Shriners do a multitude of good deeds, but, are known to love their parties. We dressed in our formal best for a wonderful dinner and dance one night there in Okinawa. These guys in their fez's gathered in a circle and sang "their" song, "Tiny Bubbles". To see Douglas laugh and have so much fun was an amazing sight to behold !!

A Surprise Gift

Douglas was full of surprises through the years !! I think nothing pleased him more than doing something that was totally unexpected by me !! I came home from a trip in the spring of 1980 and here was a brand new Cougar sitting in the garage !! He had put this beautiful Mother's Day card underneath the windshield wiper blade. A new car for Mother's Day ?? Well, the envelope told the tale -- I would be reminded of this gift for several holidays thereafter when there was no gift in sight !!