Happy Anniversary from Dennis & Barbara Wagner

Pat (lower right) as mascot of a SF softball team (they played on more than one) with Alice front left SS, Olive behind her FB, Ruth back far right.  

 In the late 40's and 50's, we lived in Herschel (Illinois) and saw Pat relatively often at Olive and Ed's, our house or in Chicago. One of my earliest memories was opening a hall door and getting lost in - what seemed to me - a very large clothes filled closet at her apartment north of the loop. Pat, if I made a mess in there, I apologize to you and Dee?.


On occasion, in those days, Pat spent weekends in Herscher with us and even golfed with my father and his cronies (Jim Lochner and Lou Sauer). I caddied for her. I don't recall how well she golfed. These guys kidded people mercilessly and I do recall that she was absolutely unflappable.


When Pat and Gerry married, we had relocated to Iowa and they began moving about the country and/or north America. Contacts were less frequent. After Uncle Nick died, I drove from Madison to stay a few days with Aunt Ruth on 8th Street. Pat was there too and I helped (Pat) clean out the house a little - mostly the basement. I spent many happy moments in that house as a child but at 30 I was still afraid it go into the basement alone. This was not a problem for Pat. While at times this was a sad occasion, evenings featured extremely amusing recollections of times past among the three of us and I have always been glad Pat and I were there at the same time. 

(left-right) Dick Sabers, Jim Felker, Dennis Wagner, Gerry Taylor

 In the later 70's, Barbara and I visited P&G in Middletown (NJ) with the kids. The Felkers were there too and maybe the Sabers. A pretty big crowd with lots of kids. We frolicked on the beach, drank beer, had dinner at their house, etc. It was big fun and we were glad to be included.  Gerry worked in and after a children's visit to the trade towers, Tim caught his foot in the one of the huge circular in/out doors, jammed it and hurt himself.  A strange and scary thing. Once he was loosed by the maintenance staff, which took a while, a women who observed it all approached Gerry and said, "Of course, you will sue them". And without hesitation, best I remember, he said, "We certainly won't, it was an accident".  Barbara and I commemorate this event whenever another increasingly fanciful application of civil law comes to our attention, e.g., often. It reminds us that responses demonstrating this kind of integrity are rare events.

In 2008, Barbara spent six weeks solo, no car in a Montreal studio apartment for ESL training.  She had never met them but Gerry's sister Tony and her husband Paul 

added another dimension to her stay. If you ended up in an unfamiliar place, it would be very hard to imagine more welcoming or amusing mentors. 

The big picture is - having such naturally gracious and good humored folks for relatives or friends for so long is a blessing. We are both grateful. Look forward for more to come.


Dennis & Barbara Wagner