We were married Friday, July 14, 1961, in the Loyola University Church in New Orleans, LA., at 4:00 in the afternoon. I am Catholic; Pete, my husband, is not. So, at that time, we could only be married in a small ceremony at a side altar…and no mass.
Pete and I were graduate students at Tulane University…right next door to Loyola University. We chose the wedding date to be between summer school semesters. We were both teaching summer school. And there began a pattern of our lives being quite similar. We each received a Ph.D. in mathematics…Pete. in 1966, and me, in 1969. We had two children during that time.
I remember one of the first anniversaries: we laid cement for a sidewalk beside the garage. We probably went out to dinner most anniversaries…we certainly did in these last 10 – 15 years when we spent summers in Wisconsin. Pete had his stroke/fall in March of 2017. So, last year, our 56th anniversary, Pete was in an assisted living community in Hammond, LA. And, I was in our Louisiana home. We were not together. I had tried to take care of Pete at home and soon realized I could not…even with Ruby helping. Around August or September (of 2017), I made the decision to move Pete and me to an assisted living community in Denver. Our son is in Denver, and it became clear to me that I needed help with all the decisions that were to be made with regard to Pete’s health. And, I wanted a place that would let us be in the same apartment.
And we are. The Assisted Living staff here is providing the medical and physical support for Pete so that we can be together in our apartment. I tried to tell him just a few hours ago that Saturday was our 57th wedding anniversary. He made a circle with his wheelchair; looked at me; and said “57th ?” Nowhere along the way had I ever thought we would be in an Assisted Living Community in Denver for our 57th anniversary…and many more anniversaries to come, I am sure.
Old Fashion with a Twist 