Once Joe makes up his mind to do something...he wants it done right away. Before I knew it, we had made an offer on a house in Highland Park...and made all the wedding arrangements for July 11.
In the meantime, the kids and I were spending a lot of time driving back and forth from Ypsilanti to Highland Park. Joe was teaching and coaching junior high school. He got lucky and stepped into a position vacated suddenly by another teacher. In the spring, he also coached sandlot baseball.
Joe wanted to be married in the Serbian church. Tammy, Buddy and I had to take a couple of classes in the religion and be baptized. One Sunday afternoon Joe took us to visit his Kumas...Serbian Godparents. We...they and I, liked each other right away. Therefore, it was okay with me when Joe wanted them to be our Kumas at our wedding...same as best man and bridesmaid. Also, they were Kumas to the kids and me when we were baptized.
It's not easy to plan a wedding in six weeks. It can be done and is a lot of work...but I did it.
The only real blight on my wedding ...well, the first one anyway...is that Tammy and Buddy could not be there. Mom and Dad came to Ypsi and got them over the Fourth...as always. I campaigned my best to be allowed to take them with us to Florida on our honeymoon...but Joe refused. He wanted that time for just us. And we were going to be staying with his relatives.
On the day of our wedding I was sicker than a dog! I woke up that morning with a 102 temperature! I went to Kuma's and spent the day, getting dressed for the wedding there. Kuma Lillian doped me up with cold medicine. My wedding is a blurred memory, what with the fever and meds. Our reception was held at a bowling alley owned by friends of Joe's family. They put on a great buffet at no charge to us. My family was represented only by my Uncle Calvin and his wife, Janet. My boss, Al Klieman and his wife Marion were my only friends there. Joe's family came out in force. There must have been 50 or more that I met for the first time. And never remembered any of them!
Instead of leaving on our honeymoon that night as we had planned, since I was so sick we went back to Joe's apartment for the night. I laid in his arms and cried that night because my kids were not at my wedding. So, the next morning when we were all packed and in the car for the trip to Florida, Joe said we were going to Indiana first! I was glad we were going to see my kids...but still tried to talk him into taking them to Florida with us...but with no success. We got to Mom's about noon and stayed a few hours before leaving for Florida. The first thing Tammy said to Joe was, "Can I call you Daddy, now?" Joe just beamed! and said he would be proud for her and Buddy to call him Daddy....and from that moment on, they did.
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