Gretchen and Coleman

Gretchen & Coleman on their Wedding Day

At our core, neither of us thought we’d ever marry. We felt pretty lucky in finding one another.
Gretchen & Coleman Dressed for Dinner

We traveled light in Colorado. Coleman put together his dinner outfit, making sure that he had a sport coat and tie, or in this case, a handkerchief that served as an ascot.
Coleman

He called himself a pseudo-intellectual. He did have a philosopher’s mindset on about every subject you could think of. He was such an interesting person.
Gretchen & Coleman

Here we were only a few months into our marriage, and we both loved dressing up for an evening.
Coleman

Any excuse for a party and a hat. Under a lot of pressure during each work shift, the newspaper crowd was always ready to stir up a humorous debate in the off hours. Their resource? The daily newsfeed off the wire, or just about any subject they dreamed up. They were an intriguing group.
Coleman Reading

Coleman consumed the news like other people consumed food, with relish. It was just as important as his daily bread. In those days, he focused his mind on local and world events as if he were internet connected.
Gretchen & Coleman in Germany

Exploring small towns with historical relevance, we were a young and energetic twosome with a game plan, guide book, and my family tree to connect some ancestry.
Gretchen & Coleman Explore the River

I insisted that the sparkly nuggets I found in the stream were real gold. I was a willing fool for much more than those suspicious stones.
Gretchen & Coleman in Colorado

A fun trip that I'll always remember...
Gretchen & Coleman in Theater

Securing parts in theater roles expanded our friendships to involve talented people who were committed to great performance. It proved exhilarating. Theater brings out wonderful human traits not often found anywhere else.
Gretchen & Coleman in Rome

I’m very proud to say that I’ve driven all around Rome. For three months, my husband and I carved out our own daily tours from morning to night. We went, saw, and absorbed all things European.

My parents were eager to see me settled into a respectable marriage. They happily supported whatever new choices I made for myself, but this one was particularly welcomed.

Once the ceremony was finished, automatically the trappings of living as a couple fell into place. We were easily absorbed and accepted into circles of friends. Some were from church or neighborhood ties, others were from work. Both of us had interests outside of the marriage and occasionally we brought those things into our home life too.

It was encouraging to get swept into society, where identities were fixed, expectations were clearly laid out, and most everyone was invested in the effort of community. All one had to do was be open to the roles. Unity of purpose was reflected in financial success and education. Reliance on work, mortgage, and church, brought people together into a manageable and cooperative arrangement that worked efficiently.