Anniversary Date: December 27, 1956

Love Story: We both graduated from high school in 1951. Joe in Albuquerque, NM and Arlene in Creighton, NE. That was the year the University of Nebraska offered full two year renewable scholarships to top students chosen by teachers in every high school in Nebraska. Arlene was top on the Creighton faculty list. In March of 1951 the phone rang at the Johnson farm. The English teacher was frantic. "Arlene where are you? Today is the scholarship test. The people from the University are here." Arlene answered, "I'm sorry. It snowed more than a foot last night. We cannot even get out our lane, and the road is not plowed. They will just have to take the test without me." They did. The two other students both won scholarships. Arlene had to teach two years in a one room rural school to earn enough to go to Midland. I was already a Junior at Midland. If she had known me in my Freshman and sophomore years as cheerleader and campus clown, Arlene might never have gone on a date with me, but by the time she got there, I had studied Shakespeare and Western Civilization and my roommate Paul Scherer and I both worked in the kitchen (where Arlene also worked). We sometimes discussed subjects that made Arlene think I was smart. Paul was a debater. The National University Forensic Society was stressing Female debate teams. Paul asked Dean Zimmerman if he could check the entrance test scores of the co-eds to ask the most capable women to join the debate squad. The dean agreed and Paul made a list of the Midland women with the highest rankings. Arlene was number one on that list. He asked Dr. Wolfarth to invite her. She joined the debate team and Midland had a female team. My roommate, Paul and Arlene had a few dates. When he started dating other girls on the list, I asked if I could date Arlene. Paul said, "Yes." So I did. When we married, Paul was my best man. I am the only person I know who considers snow in March in Nebraska my-personal-miracle, but if it had not snowed that March day Arlene would never have attended Midland. We never would have met. Of course being married to the captain of the debate squad, she is always right. In our marriage I have been right about nine times. But, hey, who wouldn't want to be married to a person who is always right, but never keeps score?