Viewing page 43 of 78
This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.
Among the first...... EXCERPTS FROM A LETTER February 18, 1968 Dear Miss Northcross, What a pleasant surprise to hear from you. It does seem that Xmas is about the only time many of us do keep in touch. I hope that your Holidays were most Happy ones. Jarone and I often talk about you, especially when we think back on our much younger days, which seem to be fleeing much too fast. I doubt if you remember making me stay so many times to wash mask for some of those rebelling things I could always find to do. Jarone would come over from 3 North to help me get through so at least we could have 15 minutes together before 8 p.m. curfew.. [[dotted line]] Our family is most grown up. They have grown into good citizens and nice young people. Jarone and I feel and Thank people like you who helped guide us so that we have been able to raise nice young adults in these trying times. The oldest, Janice, married four years ago and she and her husband taught in Ghana for two years. Our first grand child was born there. His name is Brozzi Kofi Lunetta. The name being Italian and Ghanian. The second, a girl was born here and will soon be a year old. Brozzi is named after his Grandfather[[dotted line]] Jacquelynn, our second daughter is teaching Cosmotology in a private white school here in the Valley. She is also accumulating experience and time to meet the public school requirements for the city school system. She is a State Examiner and has also done state demonstrations for Helene Curtis Co[[dotted line]] Jarone, our third daughter just completed high school at mid-year. She took Sweepstake Honors and Awards in scholarship and leadership. Jarone Jr., our fourth and only son is still active in Tennis. Student Government, Leadership and is a good student. His interest is Math and Business. Presently he has his Father taking Tennis lessons on Saturday, because he is suddenly loosing matches to his 6-foot 3-inch son. Julie, our fourth girl and last, has just completed elementary and entered Junior High School. She too is a good student as well as a nice Flute Player. I COULD TALK ON AND ON ABOUT THE KIDS BUT YOU DIDN'T ASK FOR THAT SO LET ME TRY to get down to answering your question about weddings in the nurses home. Wedding Date: Saturday August 31, 1940 8:00 A.M. I will try to give you a play back of the whole episode and you may do with it what ever you might. On Thursday, August the 29th, Jarone and I took out our marriage License. Our only plans were to be married on Saturday at the home of the Minister, who was our Chaplain at the Nurses home. I was on my last P.M. while in training. By 2 P.M. I was up to my typical technique of operating. Fast, Late, Furious, and a complete new trend in thought. By 3 P.M. I was back at the nurses home trying to convince Hallie Del Wynn and Emily Jane Barnes to call Miss Ella Mae Jackson and get her to give us permission to get married in the room where for two long years Jarone and I had courted and Played God knows how many games of Chinese checkers. That was the small room across from the kitchen on the first floor. By 6 P.M. we had permission, the Minister had been called, and away we went to Youngs Studio down on Jefferson to have our photo made for the respectful families. Friday morning found me bathing patients on 5 North and blabbing my business to all my patients. One of my favorite ones on that service was a Mrs. (Ruth?) Armstrong. She was the owner of a Tea Room on Enright next door to Dr. E.T. Taylor's home. She immediately had me call her Tea Room and at visiting hours a truck with all her potted palms arrived at the Nurses home. By this time all excitement started popping in the Nurses home on the wards, in the Interns quarters and what have you. Hilda Bennett Marshbanks got off duty and when I arrived, she had the Altar set up furniture arranged and all my classmates were popping in and out. Rhetta Jean Bosewell a Dietician was promising to sing, Howard Venable was offering his voice for a Solo, Mildred Jenkins, senior Dietician was practicing the solos on the piano and guess what was going on in the hospital? It was like Paul Revere, the cry was "Hey Charlene and Jitter are going to be married in the morning, BE THERE". The only classmate I could find who was off duty was Marion Oden so she was stuck with being Maid of Honor. Elias Dickson, our good friend was Naturally the Best Man. The fellows were all pooling their money and a party that rang up the ambulance entrance from a top the 6th floor back to the Interns Quarters was loud and long most of the night. At 8 A.M. the living room was packed 82 [[end page]] [[start page]] shoulder to shoulder with starche white uniforms. Today we sometimes talk about the old times with Wayne Howard and John Carney and they always laugh about that mad wedding that Jitters had. As they say "Man we all put on clean uniforms on a Saturday morning". After paying the Minister G. Hamilton Martin a Fee of $2.00 and tipping the house maid $1.00 for helping me clean out 3 years of collected junk. We stood and watched Hallie Del Wynn and Emily Jane Barnes Sign Our Marriage Certificate. Dr. McClellan and all the staff presented us with a huge gift. We left the Nurses home amid the rice and good byes of all our friends and classmates. We left the place that had been home to me for three wonderful years. In our pockets we had $5.00 in cash, one package of cigarettes with 3 pennies in the cellophane covering. A good friend loaned us his only car. He helped tie the tin cans on it while my best friend Hild Bennett, attached the "Just Married" sign on front and back. That good friend that loaned us the car so that we might drive to Kansas City was none other than RED Erwin. Kay Gibsons sister gave us a wedding breakfast, which was the best treat we had ever had. Smothered squab and grits. Our wedding was certainly not one according to Emily Post but it sure was typical of the new breed of students that started off their careers at Homer Phillips. We cherish every memory of our beginning we seem to have had so little and have accomplished so much from it. Who else could say that they didn't have money for a room to live in, but, they had a Silver Cocktail Service Set, a package of cigarettes, good friends and hope. On August 31st God Willing, Jarone and I will celebrate our 28th wedding anniversary. As we muse over the good old days it will really be 28 years of wedded bliss and 30 years of love. May God keep you and Bless you. May you always have the happiness that you have given to so many in your life-time. I will be coming to ST. LOUIS for the last graduation. I must close. It has been fun remembering. Please excuse the typing and the many mistakes, this is not really one of the things I do Well. Our Best Regards Always, SIGNED Charlene and Jarone [[image: black & white photograph with caption: "The Johnson's 1960"]] 83
