On Tuesday morning we returned to Kalamazoo. We went to a jewelry store and purchased two gold wedding bands. Mine cost $40.00 and I expect Ruth’s was about the same. (Another example of memory moments stored deeply in our brains.)
Ruth and I had a housing dilemma. Both of us recently signed six month apartment leases. Problem solved. One of my friends, Mike of the borrowed blue blazer, would take over my lease. Ruth and I lived with Chuck, and upon occasion Mike, for several weeks. We were three or four peas in a pod. We agreed to pay Ruth’s apartment mate, Chris, three month’s rent or until she could find a new roommate. (We paid the rent for the entire three months.)
I owned a two unit rental income property in Kalamazoo and one of the units was about to be vacated. We would move into this as soon as it became available which was scheduled to be in late October. When the renters became squatters, we moved in with Ruth’s parents and had her old bedroom on the second story of their remodeled farmhouse. It wasn’t ideal, but nothing about the beginning of our rekindled relationship was perfect. Ruth’s parents opened their home willingly and we ended up living with them for some time between three weeks and eternity. I had to go through formal eviction proceedings before we moved into our own apartment. (That’s a story for another day.)
Both our sets of parents threw parties for us. They were very nice but with major differences. The VanBruggens held a coffee and cake reception in their home on a Sunday afternoon. My mom, dad, and two sisters were on hand. Ruth’s two sisters, their husbands, and our two nieces were there as well. (Yes, I became an instant Uncle when I said, “I do.”)
The remainder of the visitors to the “open house” were fellow teachers, members of the VanBruggen’s church, assorted neighbors, and a variety of business associates. We received a boat load of gifts. Luckily, we had “registered” just like normal people who are about to get married (silver, china, crystal, the works), but we did after the fact. We opened each gift at an appropriate gift opening time after most of the people arrived and the cake was cut. There were several envious ladies in the crowd while most of the guys stuck with conversing and eating cake.
The Tebo approach to an after the fact party looked like I expect that it would have looked if it had happened under normal circumstances. My parents rented a hall, provided a buffet dinner, an open bar and a band. Did I say PARTY!!! It’s the first, last, and only time (FLO) I saw my father-in-law have a drink. Lou and Kate may have actually danced. (Another FLO)
Ruth and I spent the night in a hotel room and opened “our envelopes”. We received $600.00 in cash which was exactly $600.00 more in cash than we received at the VanBruggen open house. I point out this difference to make an observation. In 1971 open houses on the west side of the state were nicely appointed gatherings. Receptions in the Detroit area were more active “parties” and gifts focused on cash. We appreciated both because neither was required or expected. (Interesting fact, we used $300.00 to purchase a couch that we still own and use daily. We’ve had it recovered twice over fifty-years. The first reupholster cost $800 and the most recent $2,000. Like our marriage, it was a good investment.)
The month of May 1972 came and went without any “surprises”. We learned years later that some thought we “had” to get married. We didn’t. We chose to, and so far, so good.
