Text from an e-mail message when Mary was asked about her wedding ...
"My maiden name was Grant. First daughter of Patrick J and Mary G.
Born in Scammon, KS, at home of course. I had 4 older brothers who tended to overprotect and three younger sisters, who I bossed around! I liked my place in the family.
John came out to K.C. to go to Rockhurst College. He was accepted at Purdue as well as Rockhurst, but here they had a great program in Industrial Relations. His real love at the time. We laughed many times over the fact that he didn't use his education as he thought he would. He was really into Unions, etc. Became a salesman (very successful) for God's sake ...of insurance. Rockhurst was taught by Jesuits and has a very good reputation. Our son, Pat, also graduated from there.
I was in Nurses Training at the time at St Mary's Hospital. The two institutions worked together both in teaching and occasionally had parties and invited the students back and forth. Shortly after John arrived in K.C. Rockhurst had a Sadie Hawkins dance in their gym and invited the nursing students. We were to take a box dinner and choose someone to share it with us. I picked John. --- We enjoyed each other and he started coming by regularly. Mostly we went to movies.
Only a few months after we met we were planning to marry when I graduated. He never gave me a ring because I made the mistake of telling him I had given two back. It took me 20 years to get a really nice diamond ring. Actually, he got cold feet about a month before I was to graduate and decided he didn't want to get married, ... soooooo I invited someone else to my graduation party. Then a few days later he arrived with a big red apple --- ready to take up where he left off. I had to set my friend up with one of the other girls who didn't have a date. Always felt bad about that.
The dean at St Mary's was pretty upset with me because we were getting married August 30th l947. We had boards in September and she wanted me to study --- I passed with no problems.
You [Rose Mary Keller] came to our wedding, with Joe and Mom Helldobler, in Scammon, KS at St Bridget's Church. The weather was very HOT that day. No A/C in sight. We left in the afternoon and went as far as K.C. and spent the night. Our wedding was on Saturday, so we had to get up the next day and go to Mass before we could take off for Rochester. I remember Joe stayed in John's room at school. I don't know where you and Mom stayed. John and I stayed at the American Hotel --- downtown. It is no longer standing."
What Mary didn't say was ... imagine a newly-married couple driving, on their honeymoon, from Kansas to Rochester in a car with his brother, mother, and younger cousin. Not the most romantic beginnings to a marriage that endured.
