 |
| Bob and Barbara (Becker) Greenley 1946 |
70 years ago – June 23, 1946, would be my parents 70th
wedding anniversary. They meet after my dad had returned to Roseburg at the end
of WWII. My mother was working in the
office at Frieghtways, where my grandfather had a cold storage unit for the
dairy product he sold. When WWII ended,
he would talk to my mom how excited he was to have his son, Bob, come home
after 3 years away.
My father arrived home Dec. 12,
1945. Quote from my grandmother’s diary:
“Bob came
home (she underlined it twice!) about 1 pm.
Lela was outside & saw him coming, when I heard her scream I ran out
too & met him in the yard.”
My father got a job driving truck
for Freightways, and they met. The “courting”
started when my mom purchased a car – but didn’t have her driver’s license, and
didn’t know how to drive. My dad offered
to give her driving lessons.
It was pleasantly surprised to see
their courtship unfold in my grandmother’s diary:
Feb. 2, 1946 (Sabbath)
Such a happy day, Lela, Austin &
Bob all off to S.S.(Sabbath School)) & church, daddy did not go, had nice
dinner. Lela & Pat went to sleep. Lela is all in for sleep & rest. All
went skating in eve. Bob took Barbara Becker skating. (Barbara is the office
girl at Freightways, pretty)
Sunday, Feb. 3, 1946:
 |
| Bob and Barbara (Becker) Greenley circa 1946 |
Had busy day, Lela & Pat came
down from Oakland & we washed, Lela packed for her & Bill, they left
about noon. Pat wanted Grandma to come along. Bill is 6ft 33/4 in. tall. Bob brought Barbara to see us, teaching her
to drive her car.
Wed. Feb. 6, 1946:
Made Lela an apron & cookies
& sent a pk. to Lela. Bob went out with Barbara & did not get to bed
till 11:30. Gave him 4 hr. sleep.
Sun., Feb. 10, 1946
Snowed & sunshine, Bob worked
forenoon. Bob gave Barbara driving lessons in afternoon. Glenn & Nadine
came. Glenn ate dinner. I wrapped a bundle of papers to send to Philippines.
Sun. Mar. 31, 1946: …. “Barbara has
her driver’s license.”
Tues., April 23, 1946:
Everett started back to school, from
measles. Daddy went north; getting all the cheese he wants sold 900 lbs. He can
make $100 a week. I ironed; Barbara came for dinner, getting lively &
happy.
My father also started building his
first house that spring. The first diary
entry to mention “Bob’s place”was May 21, 1946:
 |
| My parent's first home. A version of this house is still there at 2722 W. Bradford Ct., Roseburg |
“Ironed a big ironing. Bob & Bill went out to Bob’s
place and cut a drive way to his place thru poison oak & got poison oak.”
My dad had a horrible reaction to the poison oak – and suffered from it for
more than a week.
And two short months later:
July 24, 1946:
"Ironed & mended. Billie & I drove out to see Bob's house & to see Bob & Barbara in their new home. have lovely refrigerator & iron."
Marianne, it is interesting to see, according to Grandma Greenley that Mom and Dad were living in the house two months after he cut in the driveway. It seems funny that she would be so excited about a situation that would be scandalous to her at that time, living in sin! Also, I have a memory of me as an infant being carried by dad in a basket up a long flight of stairs, going through a screen door and being set on a table while dad went in the house. When driving around with friends one afternoon in my high school days, I saw that flight of stairs and screen door on a house. I described it to Mom and she admitted that they lived in that house when I was born and were in the process of moving into the Bradford house. She, however, said that it was impossible for me to have that memory as I was only two weeks old. Sorry Mom, how else could I have recognized that house 17 years later?
ReplyDeleteI realized I misinterpreted the diary entry. I think on July 24th they visited two places. They went to see the apartment Mom and Dad had moved into AND went to visit the house Dad was building. They weren't living in sin ... but Mom was pregnant- so that part was the scandalous part.
DeleteJust found the diary entry when Mom and Dad moved into the house: May 18, 1947. The entry reads "Daddy & I went onpaper route. Bob & Barbara moved to their own little house. I got dinner for them. Everett went to annual school picnic."
Delete