Several of us went to the Federal Building in downtown Omaha and filled out pages of the application. A week later I was called back for a 2nd interview. The gentleman who was "grilling" me was not the same person who had talked to me the week before. It was very clear that the FBI had been in my home town following up with the persons that I gave as a reference. He ask me why I did not tell him that my father had been shoot in San Pedro and had died. My answer--I did not think that it was important for my getting a job as a secretary. Must have been the right answer as he never ask it again. It was however a little scarey that he knew so much about my family and my home town in Ohio. I was excited as you well may imagine and called home and told my parents about the two interviews. Mother was excited for me. The job would only last 6 mos. Then if I lived up to the expectations they had I would be hired with a contract.
My future husband was not so impressed. My future father-in-law who had traveled extensively tried to discourage me. He felt that Washington DC was no place for a young woman on her own. Finally Bob put it to me this way "either its me or the job".When you are young and in love it makes a difference just what you decide to do. Even though the job was only for 6 mos at that time, I choose to stay in Omaha . Got a job at the Insurance Company, United Benefit and stayed with the Stillings. At the end of May we made a trip to Ohio to apply for our marriage license. My future father-in-law insisted that we take someone with us and we choose a couple that were our first friends as a couple. We have remained close and still are friends. They also live in Arizona as we do now. I was only 18. My mother had to sign giving me permission to be married as in Ohio at that time the age of 21 was the "adult" age. To say she was happy about this would be stretching the truth. But she had let me make my choice and she stuck to it. She took measurements of me for a wedding gown that she was going to make. We left the next day for Omaha as I had to be at work the day after the Memorial Day holiday. My Mother drove into Cleveland, Ohio the largest city near Amherst the day after we left for our return to Nebraska. She purchased beautiful brocade satin for the gown. WW2 had not been over to long and fancy fabric was scarce as all the fabric mills had made fabric for the war effort. My wedding was August 8, 1947, my Mother's 38th birthday. She cut that dress out and stitched it up. I believe that she still was using her treadle singer sewing machine. When I arrived home to prepare for the wedding and tried the dress on so the hem could be marked that dress fit like a glove. On the bodice she had stitched seed pearls taken from the veil she wore the day she married my father in 1927. I kept that dress almost 60 years hoping that my daughter would use it some how when she married. She lived in a relationship for 28 years but never married. I used the dress for something else to be told later in this story.
By the end of September 1947 the honeymoon had been celebrated and it was down to the business of making a life for ourselves. I secured a job at Guarantee Mutual Life. An Insurance Company and Bob went to work fabricating steel products. My hobby was crocheting and stitching and Bob's was building Model Airplanes, you control planes. The planes were attached to a thin wire on to the control handle the flyer held. The little planes had little engines and they flew like crazy. Our friends the Wendt's who chaperoned us to Ohio for our marriage license were our "flying" Buddies. Actually the boys" flew" and we girls sat in the shade and did our hobbies. Bob and I had been given a building lot in the north Omaha area to build our first home. It was now being built. A sweet house, with two dormers on the front, a large picture window. One bedroom was finished on the first floor, later the upstairs was finished by Bob. The house was on the corner at the top of a hill. In the winter it could be hard getting into our driveway when slippery with snow and ice. We had wonderful neighbors. We were only 4 blocks from the little church I attended.The first year while the house was built we both went to work each day. My mother-in-law had dinner ready when we came home. She was so good to us. In March I learned that I was to have the first child of this union. Our Son John Albert Stilling was born December 9, 1948. . He was the first great grandchild of Nels Peter Stilling. Grandpa was so proud of John and now the Stilling line would continue. My husband's Aunt Ellen who was so proud of her Danish heritage was none to happy to see a brown eyed Dane. I told her when you cross a brown eyed German with a blue eyed Dane you are bound to get a brown eyed Dane each time. I really tainted those Danes. Our daughter when she came along also had brown eyes and all 4 of my grandson's also.
Just previously I mentioned "U control airplanes, It was a hobby that my husband and his best friend Bill Wendt spent many hours on. The little planes were quite fragile being made from very thin pieces of balsa wood. One week-end Bob and I went to a "fly in meet". Bill and Donna were unable to go so I just was on my own as the planes took first place that day. Mid day a fellow came walking by asking if anyone wanted to go on a plane ride. I jumped at the chance. It was a 2 seater by plane. Piolet in front at the controls passenger in the second seat. He gave a helmet and helped me into my seat. We took off down a bumping runway and whoops up in the air we went. I was aware of the plane turning and diving but to the dare devil in me it was fun. Meantime on the ground, a group of guys were watching from the ground and someone said "That guy is nuts". Bob looked up and made some remark, at the point another person says, "your wife is in the plane" What he said I do not know but he was waiting for me when the plane landed and in his relief he had a few words for me. I was just having a great time.
One more incident that I will mention to do with model planes. That same summer in July or August it can get pretty hot and humid in Omaha, Nebraska. Bob and Bill were going flying. Donna and I wanted to go swimming. They took us to Peony Park for swimming with the understanding that they would come and pick us up at 4PM. Meanwhile at the flying park it got pretty hot so the flyers all pitched in with money and some one went and purchased ice and beer, found a tub and boy they were all set. Going round and round and drinking that nice cold beer, well on a hot summer day in Nebraska what was better. To much beer and hot sun not to mention the going in circles, the BOYS forgot about picking up their wives. We called my dear mother-in-law and she came to get us. Sometime later The BOYS arrived at Mom Stilling's. But they had visitors.Great Grandma and Greatgrandpa, Uncle Ernie and prissy Aunt Ellen. It was apparent they had been drinking. Aunt Ellen said "your drunk". Good old great grandpa Pete said "Oh, a few beers never hurt anyone." I tell this story for only one reason--I want my son and all my grandsons to know that your Grandfather has not always been straight arrow. He too was young once and enjoyed every minute of his youth.
Just a short time after John was born we moved into our very first home at 6702 North 34th Street, Omaha. Our lives were good with the usual ups and downs. I was able to plant a garden in the back yard and flowers all over the place. I raised African violets under lights. and began to sew a lot. If I wanted clothes I had to make them myself. Lovely fabric could be purchased for less then $1.00 a yard. Shopping for food was fun. We had to follow a budget.
Bob developed himself a very nice shop in the basement. There just was nothing he could not build or fix. After our son was born he went to work for the Union Pacific Railroad. His father had never work anyplace else and he was now an officer in the Freight Traffic Department. Bob was hired. He also did wood working on the side in his shop. Bob worked in the freight department and the system they used developed into the computer system of today.
June 5, 1951 our daughter Susanne Stilling was born. She came early (7mos) and she had breathing problems. We nearly lost her. After weeks in the hospital she finally gained enough weight that she was released. What a sweet darling baby. She had been baptized while in the hospital. Bob did this for me. At the time the Doctor was not sure that she would live. I was not aware of that as Bob kept it from me. He told me 2 days later and by then she was on the mend list. She was a tough little kid. When she was 6 months old I took she and our son to Ohio and had her baptized again properly.
The Children grew in a loving environment with a neat aunt Mary Ellen, who was young enough to do kid stuff with them. Their grandparents made life happy for them. "Grandma Susie" was the perfect grandma. She let them play in the flour in her kitchen and make a mess. Mama was to fussy and worried about how the house looked. Oh my what a mistake. As a family we went roller skating. So much fun we had. When John reached cub scout age I became a den mother.
Happy Times. The Children attended Sunday School at the church down the hill and Bob and I belong to the young married couples group.
Every family needs a dog. Our dog was an English Crocker Spaniel. We named him Dewy. The name came from the 3 nephews of Mickey mouse. Huey Dewy and Louie. Don't ask me why the name was chosen. He was a pure breed dog and Dewy came from a litter of pups from a Stilling family friend. His color was quite unusual. It was a cooper liver color. We did enter him in 3 dog shows as "Dewy of Newport" and twice he won because of his color. That dog loved to bury things in my garden. One spring when I was working the dirt to plant I dug up the hard wood ball from the yard game the kids had. We were missing a ball and Bob was so upset with the kids for losing the ball as he and his sister had played with the game. Not only did the dog bury it, the termites also had a feast. The ball was full of tunnels. Bob cut it in half and let the kids take it to school for "show and tell"After Dewy died we got another dog. A German Shepherd, Smoky was his name. He turned out to be my dog and faith full he was till his last day.
Our Son suffered from many allergies and asthma. For 3 years it was necessary for him to have weekly shots made up for him at an allergy clinic in Omaha. His Dr. there told us he would be better off living away from the mid west. Our Lord works in mysterious ways. Bob had worked for the Union Pacific RR for 10 and 1/2 years so was vested in the retirement program. He got a job in Seattle Washington with Safeco Insurance Co. in the systems department. The last pass that we had from the RR took us to our new home in Seattle, Washington. That included our dog Smoky. Bob had made him a travel bed/box. He could stand and turn around as well as lay down. After the first day aboard on the baggage car the guy in that car made friends with the dog and let him out of the travel box. When ever the train pulled into the depot where they stopped the baggage man had the dog on his leash and Bob went back got the dog and he took him to do his business. At one stop the dog took a little longer then usual and
Bob had time to push the dog up on the car and grab the handrail of the next passenger car. The train had begun to move. Back in our car Our Daughter was beside herself as she thought the train had left her daddy behind. In less then a minute he appeared and then instead of smiles here came the tears. "Oh Daddy, I thought you was losted forever. The rest of the trip everyone who was going to Seattle watched as Bob got the dog and off they went to return in a few minutes. We were the crazy family with the dog. We settled in our rented house. Bob's father our angel in Omaha took care of selling our first home. I loved that house. So many wonderful memories we had in that house. I learned to drive while PG with Susie. Walked the floor with John when he suffered from a bad asthma attack. We made May baskets and delivered them to the neighbors. Made Valentines. The children got to go shopping with Grandma down to Central Market. We celebrated Everyones birthday with ice cream and cake. A family joke--When we went to Great Grandmother Susanne's house Uncle Ernie always bought and dished up the ice cream. He never bought quite enough so the amount in the dishes was very small. When we had birthday celebrations in other homes there always was more then we really needed. There were no "Uncle Ernie" dishes of ice cream at other homes. Holidays were always celebrated by us all. It was a wonderful time of life.
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