On dating... the men's perspective

Dating, where to start? It isn't always easy finding a girlfriend. Sure, going to a one-room school house - people would think that having a crush on a girl would be easy. But not if you're a 'picky' person. When you are, finding someone is harder than you would think. The characteristics of a girl have to be just right. They have to have good looks, dress nice, good personality, and would have to be smart enough to make up for the other half of my brain. That 'right' girl would be Violet Craley. She was all that and much more. She was the school girl of any boys dreams. She had long black hair and a smile that would make you melt. And Violet was all mine! We went to the movies together; we visited the country fair and we went out for dinner plenty of times. Life with her felt complete. I'd even bought her flowers and candy, on occasion. We did it all. I had what many other men didn't - a smart, pretty girl. Unfortunately, a year later I found out she wasn't the one for me. One day she told me that her feelings had changed, and that she thought she liked someone else. I didn't know what to say, so I just let her go.

Living on a farm is hard work, but when your parents ship you out, and has your brother take over the farm - there's no where left to go. I decided to go into the Service. I found myself another young gal, and she was by my side through it all. We met through our parents and she was one of a kind. She always wrote to me when I was across the seas and she was waiting for me when I came back home on leave. When I came home she was waiting for me with her arms open wide, ready to give me a big hug and welcome me home. No one knows that kind of feeling unless you're in love, and I sure was. She was truly faithful. I thought, for sure, that this young lady was going to be better than Violet, and never leave my side. I had one more year left in the service, and I couldn't wait to go home and be with my gal. One day I got a letter that no man wanted to get in the mail. She wrote me a letter saying how much she loved me, and that the times we had together were great, and that she would cherish every moment we had together - but that our relationship had come to an end. She had no reason in the words she wrote in her note. Her last words to me were for me to 'be safe' and 'take care'. I knew she would no longer be a part of my life. Heart-broken, I made it through my last year - wondering where my life would take me from there.

After a couple of months at home, I met Doris Heigner. She was the top of them all. We did everything together. It was something about that girl that I could love over and over again. When I joined the baseball team, she came to all the practices and games. She was my number one fan. Every Saturday night we went to my sisters to churn the homemade ice cream. Nothing beats eating freshly made ice cream with your family and your gal.

After three wonderful years together we started talking about marriage on and off. We already knew it would be parent-approved because our parents already knew each other. They would be delighted to see their kids get married to each other. In the Spring of 1945 I gave her a ring. We were happily married the following year.

My wife is still with me today. She is in my heart, and with me all the time. Even thought it is years later, my love for her continues on and always will. We shared a life together that no one else could - and for that I love her always.