Our first visit, as a married couple, to Coldwater was at Thanksgiving.
I know my family was not rich in material things. However, we did have a toilet in the house. My in-laws had an outdoor "johnny." This was very different for me.
Chuck had a younger brother and two little sisters. Alan was 2 years younger; Gena was ten years younger than I; and Jane who was 12 years younger than I. Alan and Jane looked like their mother with dark hair and brown eyes. Chuck and Gena looked more like their father. It was obvious to me, that the mom's favorites were the two who looked like her.
His dad was a "jack of all trades," who could reupholster furniture, repair shoes, and was an award-winning photographer. He was born in Pendennis, Lane County, Kansas. He had a few years of formal education. Anytime he did anything "out of line," he used his lack of formal schooling as an excuse. He really didn't know how to treat a young daughter-in-law and he never did figure it out. His mother had a rather "put upon" attitude and heaved great sighs very often.
Adjusting to in-laws was a very real challenge. When it came time to visit at Christmastime, I cried because I didn't want to go. We went anyway.
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