1968 / Meeting Michael

On October 20, 1968, I met Michael, a young flight student for Lufthansa German Airlines who was later to become my husband and father of my two children.

I was performing at a German/American Oktoberfest and there Michael saw me. He and his pilot buddies had come to the fest out of boredom. He saw me dance, then got talking to a friend of mine, "Hansi" (Patricia), who managed to get us introduced. When it was time for me to go home, he walked me to the car, which we discovered had been broken into (the fest took place in Chula Vista near the Mexican border). My car's battery had been removed! Other cars had chrome removed.

Michael had to return with his buddies to the flight school at nearby Brown's Field, and in the mean time my mom arranged for a neighbor to bring me a battery.

On the following Monday Michael called me to ask how things had worked out. He knew I folk danced at Balboa Park every Sunday and the next weekend he showed up there. Of course he managed to arrange for me to invite him home for dinner! And this routine continued almost every weekend after that!

We invited him for Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas. By then we were already engaged (December 3). My mom replied when I told her, "What took him so long?"

Thanksgiving dinner

and a trip to Disneyland.....

Micheal's training was done with the now defunk PSA, Pacific Southwest Airlines

1969