How did a lovely lady from Orangeburg, SC pair up with a self-righteous Yankee from New York? Our early lives couldn’t have been more different, but we merged into a wonderful marriage and raised three fantastic kids. We were also blessed with 5 grandkids and our latest gift, a gorgeous 2 year old great granddaughter.
The US Air Force brought me to Charleston in August. 1962. I met Marjorie at a party in Sep, 1962. In August, 1964 we were married. August, 2024 will mark our 60th anniversary.
Marjorie’s small town, very normal nuclear family of mom, dad , two brothers and a sister provided a comforting, welcoming environment for my risk averse, independent and not immediately trusting nature.
Her typical Sunday dinner, to which I was sometimes happily invited, consisted of about three meats (eg chicken, ham, pork; 4-5 veggies ( always rice), green beans, collards, carrots and butter beans. ). Always fresh.
Drop-in family and neighbors were a common occurrence. There was always room at the table. All this with a meager income. Of course, there was always pie or cake for dessert.
My typical NYC dinner was always mashed potatoes, one meat and one green, canned or frozen veggie. No one came uninvited.
When I met Marjorie she was a psychiatric nurse at the Medical College( now MUSC). She was well ensconced in her nursing career. I was just starting my Air Force life.
I was a semi-orphan, latch key kid. My mom, a widow, raised me. My dad died when I was 4. We lived on his insurance for about 6 years. Then she had to go to work to bring in $$ for rent, etc. ergo. Latchkey. At 10 in 5th grade, I carried a key on a chain and I let myself in our apartment after school. I then had chores to do before meeting my mom at the train station 5 blocks from home and walking her home. She didn’t like walking by herself, especially in winter when it was dark. Not sure how much help I’d be at 10 if someone meant ill. But I was there.
The relationship between me and my mom was not typical. For the next 12 years or so, until I left for my Air Force career, my mom and I were partners in survival in the big bad city of New York.
I started working part time at age 15. At 19-22 , while attending Brooklyn College, I was working for the Post Office about 20 hours weekly at $2.00 per hour. Big bucks. Almost every dollar I earned , I gave to my mom. She managed the household. She gave me an allowance for my expenses.
In August, 1961 I entered active duty at James Connally AFB in Waco,Texas for Navigator training. I reported with 20 borrowed dollars and the clothes on my back. I felt like I was on vacation for the next 10 months. I also felt like a millionaire with a steady job and fixed income. I continued to send money home each month to help my mom.

My city experiences were a bit different from Marjorie’s stable family life in Orangeburg and Charleston Enuf.