My Grandpa Clint Lowe was born to city dwellers in Sioux City, Iowa in January 1916. My Grandma Margaret (nee Winkel) Lowe was born 9 months later in Sioux Center, Iowa, about 45 miles away. While she had no doubt visited Sioux City with family, her parents moved to the city when she was approximately 15.
Clint and Margaret's brother Dave were both members of the Order of deMolay, and one day Dave Winkel brought my Grandpa home with him, where he was introduced to Margaret. They may have seen each other previously, but this was auspicious. The two became sweethearts.
On Sunday April 14, 1935 the two of them journeyed 40 miles to Vermillion, South Dakota and stood before Robert Martin Jr and one Methodist clergyman and were married. Neither of the newlyweds were yet 20, although according to the record, Grandpa reported he was 21. They went home to Sioux City and after informing their two sets of parents and siblings, the couple lived with Grandpa Clint's parents, Gus and Lulu, and grandpa's 14 year old brother Jack.
I do not know what specific disagreements may have occurred, but I know these details: Two women at home (grandma may have been working outside the home, Lulu was not), two men at work, and a teenaged boy in the house as well. The depression was on, and times were difficult on a good day.
Some time in 1939/39, the disagreements, whatever they were, resulted in Grandma petitioning Woodbury County court for a divorce, which was granted. I've found no evidence that my grandpa knew of this, but his own father had been divorced back in 1911 after an extremely brief marriage which produced a daughter no one in our family had ever met (I learned this in 2020 via a newspaper clipping).
Again, I know little of what happened over the next few years except that Grandma spent time with her eldest nephew, Dennis, and Grandpa worked for the Sioux City power company. War arrived. Grandpa enlisted and was sent to Ohio and later North Carolina before going overseas. At some point Grandma moved to Dayton, Ohio, where she lived on Victor Ave and worked in the Finance Department at Wright Field.
On Saturday, July 17, 1943 Clint and Margaret appeared before Rev. Charles Zimmann at First Lutheran Church in Dayton and were married again. Grandma wore a powder-blue crepe dress, which I just know was so flattering on her. They spent a week honeymooning in Chicago this time and stayed at the Atlanta Hotel for $34 for the entire week. They attended one of the WLS-AM Radio Barn Dances, and servicemen were treated well everywhere they went, being admitted to the bus, the train and the movies for free. Grandpa told me once that when they went to a nightclub, the maitre'd saw Grandpa in uniform, pulled them out of line and led them to a table right next to the dance floor. They were, per a Sioux City newspaper, briefly joined by Gus and Lulu while in Chicago.
From Chicago, Grandpa was sent to Fort Bragg. Grandma went back to Dayton and her job. When Grandpa was later sent to New York, Grandma joined him there for just a few days. I imagine it was there that Grandma kissed the back of her photo with her pink lipstick, which he kept in his wallet.
When Grandpa did come home, they visited Sioux City together briefly, and set out to make their new home in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They were eventually married for a total of over 60 years, sharing their Lutheran faith, working and raising 2 children. They enjoyed 5 grandchildren (and some of their 9 great grandchildren) prior to their passings in March 2001 and in May 2004. All of us grandchildren are married now, and my husband and I will make half of 60 this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment