We were married in April, 1948. Debbie was born in August of 1949,
Bob Jr. came along five years later. They both loved boats, and both
became outstanding swimmers. As you can see, we spent all our free
time on boats from about school out to school in. We spent weekends
on the boat at the back dock of the DYC all summer long. In the winter,
we were also at the club all our weekends. I served on the sail race
committee for many years, and was on the board also. I became a flag
officer, and ran for Commodore in 1968. Fortunately for me, I was
defeated. Fortunate because the following summer, we pulled
up stakes, and moved to Florida. Marge's mother, Brenda Helmbold,
contracted brain cancer about 1962. Her step father, Charlie Menshardt,
who raised her, came to live with us. He stayed with us for 7 years.
This was annoying once in a while, but by and large he was a wonderful
addition to our family. I can't help but add, he chose to live with us
rather than either of his real daughters. On saturdays in the winter,
I would take Charlie and Bob Jr. to the club. Charlie and I would both
sit in the Sauna, and then have a massage, and then have lunch. Bob
would swim and play with the kids. There were always
a lot of them. It was the highlight of Charlie's week, and I enjoyed it too.

Our kids were as different as night and day, and still are. Deb was an
outstanding student, while Bob had many problems. WhenI get into
our Florida life, I'll revisit this subject.

I want to address religion, at least lightly. I was raised a devout
Episcopalian, even thought I might have a calling. As I learned more
and more about the holocaust, I became less and less religious, and now
consider myself at least an agnostic, and maybe an Atheist. I was taught
that Jesus loved the little children most of all. I could not recconcile a
God who would allow the holocaust to happen, and I still can't. In addition,
the sheer size of the universe makes it hard to believe a 'God is controlling
the whole thing. Then I hear "but something had to create it" My thought
is who created the God? And who created that creator, and so on and so on.
I know this is not an answer, but I don't believe the answer there has to be
something to start it all is either. Still, I try to live by Christian rules, and
I HOPE THEIR RIGHT AND I'M WRONG! Another point hard to
swallow is that ours is the one true religion. All the religions believe that,
and someone has to be wrong. And I guess lastly, most wars have been fought
in the name of religion, and again whose religion is the right one.
RHD