Gramps & Gi-gi

Since my post announcing my intention of writing some family/life history, I've started and stopped a dozen times in my mind. Where do I start? With the ancient-est ancestors I know about, or my own story, or little anecdotes? Losing grandpa and posting about it has given me a starting place, of sorts, so I'm glad for that.

Where were we? Ah yes, Jim was threatening to wrap the tire pump around Gi-gi's neck... She replied, "well, if you're gonna be that way about it, go right ahead!" and allowed him to air up the tire. Gi-gi worked nights heading up the OB floor. She was 21 I think. When her supervisor noticed "Jim, from plant services'" interest in Gi-gi, she began sending Gi-gi for her midnight coffee break anytime she saw Jim in the hospital cafeteria. Presumeably this is where they got to know each other. I don't recommend the setting, as there were probably no two worse-matched people than they.

There was also another young woman. I don't know her name. But her heart was breaking as she watched the young man she loved pursue the night OB nurse. The night OB nurse observed this, and made a plan. Gigi had recently converted to Catholicism, and wanted to be a nun, but there was a 2-year wait before a convert could join a convent. By the spring of 1949, she had made arrangements to move to Wisconsin to work and help put her younger brother through chiropractic school. She took this other young woman aside, and told her she was leaving. "I'm going away for awhile. Now's your chance; you can have Jim." She left for Wisconsin.

Jim discovered that Gi-gi had left, and quickly discovered where she'd gone and called her up. "You can't do this. I'm coming to get you." "On your motorcycle? In April?!? Across the Rockies, you'll kill yourself! *sigh* Fine, sit tight. I'll be back in August."

She was back in August, and in August they were married. At six a.m. (because Jim's dad couldn't get time off work) on a Wednesday (because the priest was down from wherever only to get the mail that one day). The organist overslept, but someone roused her. They honeymooned on the coast, where (according to my brother) Jim began to wonder what in the world he'd done...

And the other young woman? She eventually became a nun..