October 14 would be our last day on the road before arriving back to our apartment in Hollywood. We were up at 8 o'clock and ready to go on our way, when we discovered we had a flat tire. We had to have it taken care of at a garage because our tools had been stolen in New York. We passed the time looking at the 1940 Chevrolets which were on display. We were on our way by 9:30 AM.
The countryside now was desert and mountains - the day was beautiful and the weather cool. However, soon we encountered very bad roads and strong winds. We got our first agricultural sticker the day before as we crossed from New Mexico into Arizona. Our inspection was by the Arizona Commission of Agriculture and Horticulture. We drove on some very bad mountainous roads in Arizona. We went by Roosevelt Dam and Superstition Mountain and arrived in Phoenix at lunch time also stopping for a lub and oil change. By dinner time we were in Indio and arrived at our apartment on Gardner just off Sunset Boulevard at l2:30 AM.
We had been gone three days short of a month and had travelled 8000 miles. It had been a great trip but we were ready to be home.
Jerry stayed for several days and he and I went to Catalina for one day. This was the first time I had been there and we flew over on the flying boat, landing at Avalon and came back on the regular boat that went back and forth each day. By this time Jerry decided it was time to head for Laramie. Joan had her job at McCann Erickson and I had to look for a new job. The first thing I did was to contact the Helen Edwards employment agency in downtown Los Angeles. They were very helpful and with my recommendations from MGM they sent me out on several interviews. After a couple of weeks I was interviewed for a secretarial position at Williams, Lawrence and Cresmer, a newspaper publishers representative in downtown Los Angeles at 12th & Hill. I accepted and became secretary to Mr. Cresmer and two other men in the office. There was also a young man who did miscellaneous office work.
The girl who I was replacing had just left to be married and they were very concerned about this happening again. They felt they had just gotten her well trained for the work she would be doing. Therefore, they questioned me at great length whether I had a steady, did I plan to be married, etc. I assured them that I was not going with anyone in particular at that time and had no such plans. So I was hired.
Among the newspapers they represented were the Long Beach Press Telegram, a Pasadena newspaper and one from northern California. I drove my car each day and parked in a lot at 9th and Hill. I ate my lunch at one of the various restaurants nearby. Within a block of our offices was an Italian restaurant where I ate often. It was there I met a young lady, Dorothy Van Buren, who has remained a friend ever since. We both married and moved to the San Fernando Valley. She had two boys and we two girls. While we lived in Van Nuys our friendship continued for many years.
During this year Joan had met a young man from NBC studios, Perry King, who was a radio announcer. Eventually, they were married and Olga and I now had an apartment which was too large for the two of us. We found a very nice apartment with underground parking facilities on Gramercy near 8th street near downtown Los Angeles. We were impressed by the underground parking facilities and the small vending machines in the parking area where we could buy candy bars, cokes, etc. It was a one bedroom apartment which was ample for the two of us. By this time Rose and Terry had moved from Wasco and had purchased a two bedroom house in Inglewood at 440 West Hillsdale. Olga and I used to visit them often on weekends.
One evening Rose and Terry dropped by our apartment without telling us they were coming. They brought Chuck along with them. He was working at a Thrifty Drug Store in the San Fernando Valley and often came in town on weekends. As it happened I had a date and the young man and I were having a drink before we went out. Rose let me know that Chuck was hungry and had not had dinner, so while they visited with my friend I took Chuck to the kitchen and fixed him something to eat. He was wearing a white coat and I remember, as he took it off and decided to hang it over the door, he was very careful to check for dust along the top. Apparently, both of us liked what we saw and his trips in from San Fernando became more frequent and we began to see each other most weekends. This was about the first part of June. He was later transferred to a store in downtown Los Angeles.
As Chuck and I kept seeing each other more often, apparently he was mentioned in my conversation at the office. Soon Mr. Cresmer decided I was not living up to my part of the bargain and they began to interview for a new secretary. So I quit my job and decided to spend some time in Evanston with Florrie and Rue. Before I left for Evanston Olga and I decided to move from our apartment and we moved in with Rose and Terry. Without a job the low rent was important. Also a friend, Oscar Nyquist from Laramie, had been writing and asking me to make up my mind whether I would marry him that summer. He had come to visit me when Joan and I came back from our trip and I had said I wanted to think it over. Oscar planned to come to Evanston while I was there.
Oscar only stayed a couple of days. He drove a good car and we went to Salt Lake one of those days. He was several years older than I and had his own printing business in Laramie. He was a senior in college when I was a freshman. Our main interest was that he was a very good dancer and I loved to dance. We had a good time but I knew by that time I was not interested in marrying him.
What I had not known when Oscar had planned to come to Evanston was that Chuck was planning to drive to Evanston to see me about the same time. Rose was in Evanston visiting Mom and Pop also. Rosie needed a ride back to L. A. so Terry talked Chuck into taking their new 1940 Chevy instead of his 1931 Chevy Cabriolet to bring her back. The morning after Oscar had left for Laramie, Chuck arrived at the house. He has always had great fun commenting on what the neighbors must have thought as I kissed Oscar goodbye and Chuck hello the next day.
Chuck arrived in Rosie's car having driven straight through from Los Angeles except for sleeping along side the road part of the night. Needless to say he looked tired and without stopping was both in need of a bath and a bit of grooming. The contrast between Chuck and Oscar was considerable.
After introductions to Florrie (Pop was at the office), Chuck went to the bathroom for a bath and shave. While he was doing this I took some fruit over to Mom's friend Sarah Coutts. When I returned Chuck was in his undershirt and trousers tightening the lids on fruit that Florrie had been canning. They were laughing and seemed to be enjoying each others company. I was surprised but happy to see Chuck. He stayed a couple of days and then he and Rosie headed back for L.A.
I stayed on with Florrie and Pop for a short visit and then headed back to L.A. in my car. I had to look for a new job and I owed money to Pop for the loan he had given me for my new car.
Soon after I got back to L.A. I went again to the employment agency run by Helen Edwards and she sent me out to various businesses. I got a secretarial job with a Mr. Davidson who was in Public Relations. Mr. Davidson's office was several blocks from where I formerly worked. One of the interesting things that we worked on while I was there, was working with Sam Yorty, who later became Mayor of Los Angeles. He was very interested in cross filing - a method that allowed a candidate to register in both parties. He worked with Mr. Davidson on this concept and I found it interesting working with him. It was an interesting concept but was never passed. Olga and I continued to live at Rose and Terry's house in Inglewood. I drove to downtown Los Angeles in my car each day and at that time parking was available and not too expensive. Chuck was working at Thrifty Drug store out in San Fernando and drove in town to see me almost every weekend.
My job was easy compared to the long hours I had worked while at MGM. Driving from downtown L.A. to Inglewood was also easy. There were no freeways but neither was the traffic heavy as it was to become before many years. I enjoyed driving and found the public transportation very disagreeable. Soon Chuck was transferred to a Thrifty store in downtown L.A. and we saw each other more often.
Dorothy Van Buren and I had lunch at a restaurant near 9th and Hill almost every day. Chuck's hours were quite different from mine but occasionally he would meet me at the lot where I parked my car and we would go out to dinner and see a movie.
One afternoon, the first part of December, we met at my car and after the usual kiss, I started the engine and was about to move out of the parking lot when he said "Wait a minute." Naturally I did and much to my surprise he took a small box from his pocket and opened it. There was a diamond engagement ring and a wedding ring. His side of the story is that I didn't even wait for him to take it out of the box or ask me to marry him before reaching for it myself. As you know, however, he did ask me and I said "yes." Looking back now we seemed awfully young at the time although I was 25 and Chuck 26. That evening we decided we would be married during the Christmas Holidays as Florrie and Rue would be visiting at that time as well as Aunt Margretta and Uncle Henry. We had hopes that Chuck's parents could also come out for Christmas and the wedding.
The following afternoon after work we met again and drove down to the County offices to get a marriage license. A couple of days later we were at Rose and Terry's house and Chuck called to Rosie "come here, we made the newspaper today." Rose came in the front room with the comment "well what did you do to get in the paper?" Chuck handed her the newspaper which carried a list of wedding licenses and needless to say there was a great todo. They wondered why we hadn't told them. She beat on his chestąwith her fists.
That weekend Chuck called his parents to tell them and see if they could come out. They had, however, made arrangements to spend Christmas in Florida. As Chuck reached his Mom on the phone he said "Hi, Mom, this is Norm". This was the first time I knew his family called him Norm. He had to stop and explain to me before I let him continue the conversation. They promised to come out in the spring when they would be able to stay longer. Chuck only had two days off work and I didn't have much more. So we decided that December 29th would be the big day.
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