Finally -- Dale Gets Married, part five

In September of 1941, after he completed his instruction and converted to Catholicism, Leta’s son Dale proposed to Kathryn Peer. The preparations for a January wedding began immediately. A lot of young people were getting married, because of the threat of war. Already Germany controlled much of Europe, battling the Soviet Union in the East and the United Kingdom and its allies in the West. Simultaneously, Japan was extending its control throughout the Pacific, moving closer to Australia and the United States territories of Guam and Hawaii. Young men and women throughout the country were deciding whether or not they should marry or wait, and many of them, especially those who had already waited out the Depression, were getting married.

While they already knew that Dale would not be conscripted, because of his prior service and discharge from the Navy, there were other factors in place. Dale and his roommate’s friendship was disintegrating, and he would need to move soon. And, more significantly, Kathryn was a good Catholic girl. Dale told his mother. “We don’t want to wait much longer.”

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Sunday, December 7, 1941, stalled the marriage planning. The entire country was stunned by the assault, and then began to rally. The United States declared war on Japan on December 8th. On December 11th, Germany and Italy declared war on United States, which immediately declared war on Germany and Italy. Just like that, the country was drawn into the Second World War.

Dale was distraught. He appeared on Leta’s door on December 13th. He still wanted to get married, but with the entire world now focused on stopping the Germans and Japanese, he was not even sure the priest would perform the ceremony. He feared that another couple might need their scheduled day so they could marry before the groom was sent overseas in the military. After all, several of his work colleagues had already enlisted. He was even afraid that Kathryn or her parents would postpone the event until easier times. The families had several brief conversations among themselves, with each other, and with the priest. They all decided that it would be best if they proceeded as scheduled.

On January 23, 1942, Dale and Kathryn were married at Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church. He was 25 years old, and she was 23. They went to Niagara Falls for two days to celebrate and then took up residence in Rossford, Ohio. Dale continued working at Spicer Manufacturing, and Kathryn took up housekeeping. Their first child, Constance Marie, was born on April 18, 1943.

Finally -- Dale Gets Married, part four

After a 15-minute conversation, Leta invited her guests to the dining room for supper. She laid the table simply but everything was cleaned and polished until it shined. She wanted to make a good impression on the young woman her son Dale had brought to meet her and her husband Bob.

Kathryn was friendly and polite, although nervous. She giggled easily but was very open about herself and background. She appropriately complimented the house, its cleanliness (and it was very clean), the meal that started with a salad of cottage cheese and fruit cocktail, followed by a main course of roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and warm biscuits. She told Leta that she rarely had gravy with her food, as her mother never made it, but she liked it very much.

“It’s not hard to make,” Leta said. “I can teach you. Dale loves gravy.”

“Yes, I do!” he said, eating his second helping of potatoes swimming in it.

While they hate, Dale and Kathryn relayed the story of their meeting at a church dance. Once each month, Kathryn’s church held the event, which she went to with her siblings. Even her siblings who moved with their parents to a farm several miles away would come for the dance. The attendance was comprised mostly of members of the parish with guests from a couple of other churches nearby. Nearly everyone who attended was Roman Catholic, since at least in their religious life, they were fairly separated from the other Christians of their community. Dale attended with his roommate, a fellow he had met through friends at work and moved in with shortly after Christmas, because, as he told his mother, he was a man and didn’t want to live with his father and grandparents any longer. Leta had never met the fellow, but he was a Roman Catholic, although he did not attend services very often.

“I usually only danced with boys I knew,” Kathryn explained, “but I had to take a turn to serve at the punch bowl. That’s when Dale came up to me. We got to talking, and then he asked me to dance.”

“She’s a wonderful dancer, Ma,” Dale interjected. Kathryn raised her hands in mock protest and laughed.

“He asked me when I would be at a dance like this again,” Kathryn continued. “and I said in two weeks there was another one at a different church that I would be going to.”

“I went, too,” Dale noted. “And then I asked her to see a film with me.”

“I love to see films!” she exclaimed. “Rita Hayworth and Spencer Tracy are my favorite actors.”

After the film, they saw each other once a week for a couple of months, and then began to spend weekends together. Dale started attending her church, and learning more about the Roman Catholic faith. He arranged for a conversation with the priest, and expressed his intention to marry the young lady. To do that, he was told, he would need to join the Church, so he began instruction. In the meantime, the couple’s relationship began to grow.

To be continued.

Finally -- Dale Gets Married, part three

Leta's son Dale dated Kathryn Peer for several months before introducing her to his mother. He wanted to be sure about the girl, he explained when he told his mother about the relationship. On a Sunday evening in late summer, they arranged the meeting. Leta had prepared a family dinner for them, but was still nervous. She wanted to make a good impression. The evening threatened to storm, but the young couple arrived basically on time, and Dale awkwardly introduced Kathryn Peer to his mother and stepfather.

Although she remained smiling, Kathryn also held the expression of someone who had previously appraised her new acquaintances and already made the determination of how she would feel. Leta knew that expression; it contained a kind of self-aggrandizing judgment. The young woman obviously came from a family or had friends with negative opinions about her. This distressed Leta. In all her prior actions, she never intended for her children to be treated negatively, and for the most part, this never occurred. They did, after all, have different last names. Sometimes, however, she or one of them met someone who knew her or knew of her, which resulted in a negative or even hostile reception. In Kathryn’s case, the attitude seemed to be skepticism combined with an interest in making the best of the situation. Leta was determined to overcome the petite young woman’s disapproving preconceptions. While she acknowledged that she had a past and a reputation, she was now married to Bob with no intention to alter this situation.

Beneath a long coat to protect herself from the threatening rain, Kathryn wore a flowered dress and light nylons. While her face seemed clean of make-up, she did wear a bright red lipstick that made her teeth look whiter than they most likely were.

“Please,” Leta said invitingly, “come sit down. Dale, hang up Kathryn’s coat and put it on my bed.”

While Dale took his girlfriend’s coat to the bedroom, Leta led the young woman to the sofa. “Would you like a glass of lemonade?” she asked. “I was anticipating that it was going to be warmer than it is, but it’s still a refreshing drink.”

For a moment, Kate looked as though she anticipated being offered something else.

“Why, thank you, yes,” she said, “that would be lovely.” Then she giggled.

Leta retrieved a pitcher of lemonade and four glasses from the kitchen and served them. Bob looked disappointed.

“We’re all having lemonade?” he inquired brusquely.

“Yes,” Leta said pointedly, reminding him with her voice that he had already had his beer for the afternoon. Another during Kathryn’s visit was out of the question. “I made it special.”

“Oh, you didn’t have to go through all that trouble for me,” exclaimed Kathryn.

Leta turned to her and smiled. “It’s no trouble. None at all. Now, let’s enjoy our drink and get to know one another a little bit before we eat, shall we?”

To be continued.

Finally -- Dale Gets Married, part two

Bob was sitting in his chair, smoking his pipe and reading the newspaper. He always seemed to be calm about such things. Leta alternated between walking around the room and looking out the window. As it was late afternoon and even though the sky was dark with thick thunderclouds, she had the drapes still open.

“Please, Leta,” Bob said after a few more minutes of her restlessness. “Please sit down. They’ll get here when they get here.”

“But I’m so nervous,” she said, stepping away from the window. “Dale has never brought a girl over to meet us before.”

Bob had pulled the paper away from his face, but he still held it up. “He never even seemed to have a girl before,” he clarified.

“And now he does!” Leta noted. “What if I don’t like her?”

Bob sighed. “You’ll like her.”

Leta crossed the room and sat on the chair. She reached toward her thighs to press down her dress and gasped in surprise.

“What?” Bob asked.

“Oh, Lord,” she moaned. “I’m still wearing my apron!” She stood immediately. “Why didn’t you tell me that I was still wearing my apron?”

“You’re always wearing an apron,” he answered shortly.

“I can’t wear an apron to meet my son’s girlfriend,” she charged, walking quickly toward the kitchen while loosening the bow she had tied in the back.

Bob growled in frustration and returned to his paper.

Leta checked the beef roast she was cooking, removed her apron, adjusted her dress, and checked her hair. She was just returning to look out the front window once again, when the front door opened.

“Ma, we’re here!” Dale called.

Leta and Bob met them as they entered the living room.

“Welcome, welcome,” Leta said, offering her hand to the young woman. “I’m Mrs. Fields, Dale’s mother. Glad to meet you.”

The young woman took her hand limply and smiled back. “How do you do?” she said confidently.

Dale interrupted the greeting by initiating his own introduction. “And this is Bob, I mean, Mr. Fields.”

The young woman shook his hand, as well.

“You can call me Bob,” he said. “I don’t mind that at all.”

She turned to Dale and nodded her head toward Leta.

“What?” he asked.

She widened her eyes imploringly and nodded even harder.

Suddenly Dale understood. “Aw, crimony!” he cried as he slapped himself in the forehead.

“Ma, Bob, this is Kate—Kathryn—Peer.”

To be continued.