Monday, April 10, 2017

Sorting through old letters--again

Over the week-end I finished up my massive project begun a few weeks ago--rereading all the Christmas letters I'd saved since 1987, and running most through the shredder.  This is to save my daughter a lot of work somewhere down the road.  Some I just couldn't give up yet, so there are still a few in a separate pile.  Then I decided perhaps I should look through the greeting cards box--I also save cards for special events or special family and friends. Hard to believe it's been almost 17 years since retirement--but there were all the "Happy Retirement" cards from library and veterinary medicine staff.

About half way through I came across a very clever hand made engagement and wedding announcement for the two daughters of the Palenske family from Christmas 1961.  So that's why I'm here at the internet again instead of cleaning out files and boxes.  I thought I'd try to track down my college era friend. We weren't that close except for 1959 and 1960, and I suppose I was still exchanging letters with her and was added to the announcement list.  I don't think I went to the wedding--it would have been about 4 weeks before my first baby was due, and we were living in Champaign, a four hour drive to their home in a Chicago suburb.

What I found on the internet was very interesting and I think I tracked her down.  One newspaper article for an event gave an e-mail, so I've dashed off a few sentences.  Stay tuned.  The last person I found this way (my first piano teacher, Miss Tinklenberg, a teenager who taught all the children in Forreston) responded, "Who are you?"

Update:  Yes, I found her and am sending her the cute announcement of her wedding.  No, she didn't remember me.

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