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I had made D's in calculus at Wichita University so I had to repeat the subject at DU. Played a lot of “harts” between classes and spent some nights at the “Stadium Inn,” a beer joint a block from the campus. The courses were not easy for me - in fact I had to spend a lot of hours trying to keep my grades in the passing range. Shirley worked in an insurance office in downtown Denver. The boss thought she had “bedroom eyes” and would'nt leave her alone. During the three years at DU we returned to Wichita for the summers. I tried to get a job at Boeing for the summer but they did'nt want someone for only three months. The same answer from Cessna. I didn't tell Beech I was going back to school and they hired me as a draftsman.
Mary, a blond draftsman at Beech
Mary was attractive and hard not to make a play for her. She wore high heels to work each day and you could hear her clicking on the hard wood floors of Beech's second floor of the administration building where Engineering was located.
She took great care to look her best all the time
My '39 Buick was our transportation.
A talented lady
At summer's end I had to return to Denver. We talked on the phone and planed to meet at Hays, Kansas for a week end which was about half way between Denver and Wichita. It was a three hour drive for both of us. I got two motel rooms, one for her and one for me. I was such a gentleman(dumb shit) I didn't want to test her to see if she would go along with only one room.
I had brought a bottle of "Bubblie"
One of the few times I got to see her legs that weekend
I had made some movies of our visit but no snapshots. These pictures were taken from the movies I made.
I have wanted to relive that weekend many times. What a fool I was to let that get away with out even sleeping with her! I had told Shirley that I was going home to Wichita for a quick week-end to see my sick mother. I often wonder if Shirley and her office love, Lowen, were able to get together that weekend. I often think of Mary.
Shirley ready for work, Denver Colorado - 1950 - dog "Cocoa"
Graduation Day June 9, 1952 - Denver, Colorado - Shirley, me and mother.
I graduated June 9, 1952 with a degree in Electrical Engineering from The University of Denver and put an ad in the Wichita Eagle that I was available to be hired an a new Electrical Engineer - like, here I am world, first one who calls will get me! How very nieve! No calls. But I did get hired at The Kansas Gas & Electric Co., as an apprentice engineer for about $50 a week. There were engineers there who were members of The Wichita Jaycees, a leadership training organization, gained while performing projects to improve the community. I was invited to a Jaycee meeting. The weekly noon luncheons were held at the Allis Hotel. At the meetings they required each person to introduce himself and tell where he worked. I was so shy it was hard to get on my feet and do this. I immediately took to the organization because I knew that I needed to get over my extreme shyness and I felt this organization could help me with this social asset.
April-March, dancer at Jaycee stag party
I became chairman of projects such as “Teen - Age - Rodeo,” “Operation Big Count,” and others and was elected to the board of directors, and then to 3rd Vice President. Most of the ‘50s were taken up with my activities in the Jaycees, going to State and National Jaycee meetings and involved in the organization in any and all ways I could. In fact I was so involved and took so much unauthorized time away from my job at KGandE they fired me after two and a half years on the job. So in November of 1954 I was out looking for a job! I applied at Boeing and was hired January 3, 1955 at twice the salary I was making at KGE - so I guess getting fired was a blessing in disguise.
Jaycee Junior Girls Tennis.
Anderson, Jones, Shouse, Aronis, Don Myer, Grisamore.
Jeri Roth.
Vic Harris had a beer joint on South Market Street in ‘52. It was noisy and had a small dance floor. Jeri and I had some dances and some drinks. She was from Whitewater but stayed with her aunt on North Delrose while in town. At closing time, she was wobbly and I offered to take her home. We made it in the back seat of my old ‘39 Buick in the driveway of her aunt’s house. During the next year we met at various locations and clubs and always ended up in the driveway or in the front room of the house with her Aunt and Uncle in an upstairs bedroom. She never told me any thing about if she was married or had kids in Whitewater. She was rather tall, about 5’8,” but what a body!
Shirley on a hot day in July 1953, 5320 E. Osie, Wichita Kansas.
New, Green, 1953 Pontiac
Dad and wife No. 4
Shirley and I made some trips to Las Vegas during the ‘50s to see dad. We bought a new, green, 1953 Pontiac.
Fred Jr., third from left, and pals at Wichita Municipal swimming pool
Dad, Las Vegas, 1955
Boeing Peers: Sloan - Wade - Harry - Hickman - John - Kassick - Dennis - Stan
One of my first jobs with KGE was to drive through the alleys and streets of Wichita to “Spot” the transformers on the poles and note their size and location so KGE could update their equipment maps. One such trip took me to the Pleasant Valley area where I noticed new homes going up. I inquired, and against the advice of Shirley’s father, who was in the real-estate business, bought a new $15,000 house for $126.00 a month. This was in 1955 and I had just started with Boeing at about $100 a week. Clearance and Ruth Ringler and 11 year old daughter, Sally, had just moved into their new home across the street. Precocious Sally was always over wanting to help me do my chores or anything to be around me to the extent I was afraid Shirley would notice and tell her to stay home (which she should have). In the next year or two she would come over and ask me to help her with her math. It was obvious she was infatuated with me and even started writing love notes to me. It must have been in her genes because I later learned that she had the same type of relationship with a Boeing employee, about my same age, 33, who was married and lived behind her house on the next street by the name of Bowen. At 16 she wanted me to make love to her, but there was no way I was going to go to jail for statutory rape - I still wonder how Bowen reacted to the situation when she was over at his house. Bowen was an artist and made some beautiful portraits of her. I later married Sally - but that is 25 years down the road!
Sally Ringler
I was elected President of the Junior Chamber of Commerce April, 1958. I had run against George Short and Vic Paulin in 1955 and lost to George
Short. This time I won even though immediate past Jaycee president, Ed Law, supported another candidate. I enjoyed the Jaycees very much - I made life long friends. Committee meetings kept me out many nights and after which I would stop at Abe’s club on the way home for a drink and perhaps to see if any stray good-looking girls might have a dance with me.
Fred Hadley - Jaycee President 1958
Mary ("Terry") Marble
Abe’s club was a terrible magnet for me to pass as I came home from Jaycee committee meetings. “Freddie” the bar tender there would pour me a free one if I was out on “"materiel.” One night “Terry” sat on a bar stool next to an empty one when I came in. We had a couple dances and our chemistry was really right. I walked her to her car, a gold ‘59 Chev, and a few kisses later we said goodnight. She was there at Abe’s the next night and we continued where we left off. She was married to Jim and had two boys ages about 2 and 4. Jim was a telephone man, I guess he took care of problems on the lines. He worked the late shift - so she had some evening times free. Our passion grew hotter and Abe’s parking lot was too visible for us to really express our love. For $65 a month I rented an apartment down on South Broadway we used for our hide - a - way. I hung an old coat jacket in the closet and put some milk in the refrig - I thought I could fool the landlord to think I really lived there. But actually she was only interested in my $65. One night about 2 am we came out and got in my car and drove off - heading for Abe’s where she had parked her car. I noticed a car was following us and I thought it might have been Jim who had discovered our play house location. I hit the gas and my tail was definitely following me - I was in deep S. Then red lights started flashing on top of the car - I felt sort of a relief that it was'nt Jim. The cops had a report of some break - ins in the area. They searched the car and let us go after I told them that we were both married and would be in deep S if they took us to the station.
We had it bad and felt we had to be together more often. We decided to get our spouses and “accidentally” meet at the “Tropics” a beer joint on North Broadway. We pulled it off and we became a “foursome” doing things together. I signed Jim up in the Jaycees. Terry would pick me up at noon at the office (Boeing at that time had some offices in downtown buildings) and bring lunch which we shared with kisses. One day she told me she and Jim were'nt getting along so well and she wanted a divorce and would I consider doing the same with Shirley. Wow, I really did'nt want this to happen even though I suspected that Shirley’s former Denver boss, Lowen DeShon, was making trips to Wichita to see her. One noon when we were parked near Broadway and 3rd and she had me on the spot for an answer - Jim’s telephone truck drives up parallel to us and he says “What are you two doing”? I was glad not to have to answer her question while fearful that Jim might have a gun and finish me off. We three went to “Henry’s” and had coffee and agreed to end the affair. Three days later Terry called and said she was leaving Jim and would I help her find a place and help her move. I picked her up with a backseat filled with her clothing and her two boys and rented an apartment, with two months rent in advance (that I paid). Three days later she decided she would go back to Jim and left the apartment with her clothing and boys. That night when I came home from a Jaycee meeting their car was in my drive - I knew the shit had hit the fan! We all agreed it had to end. Terry gave me back a single pearl necklace I had given her and that was the end of that. To be sure of it Jim ask for and received permission to transfer to California. She wrote several letters, but finally decided I was not going to divorce Shirley and marry her. For the next 20 years, each noon time I would take my lunch and eat it in the car parked 100 yards from her folks house hoping to get a glimpse of her if she ever came to visit them. I think I saw her twice. I think she and Jim got divorced and she moved back to Wichita and married some one with the last name of Johnson. I saw her at her mother's funeral in 1998 - I think it was her! - still slim - and a referance was made to her that she was "The wild one" at the funeral.
The last time I saw her on our last "date."
To view 1960s, go to:
http://lifeandtimesoffredhadley1960s.blogspot.com/
Mary was attractive and hard not to make a play for her. She wore high heels to work each day and you could hear her clicking on the hard wood floors of Beech's second floor of the administration building where Engineering was located.
At summer's end I had to return to Denver. We talked on the phone and planed to meet at Hays, Kansas for a week end which was about half way between Denver and Wichita. It was a three hour drive for both of us. I got two motel rooms, one for her and one for me. I was such a gentleman(dumb shit) I didn't want to test her to see if she would go along with only one room.
I had made some movies of our visit but no snapshots. These pictures were taken from the movies I made.
I have wanted to relive that weekend many times. What a fool I was to let that get away with out even sleeping with her! I had told Shirley that I was going home to Wichita for a quick week-end to see my sick mother. I often wonder if Shirley and her office love, Lowen, were able to get together that weekend. I often think of Mary.
I graduated June 9, 1952 with a degree in Electrical Engineering from The University of Denver and put an ad in the Wichita Eagle that I was available to be hired an a new Electrical Engineer - like, here I am world, first one who calls will get me! How very nieve! No calls. But I did get hired at The Kansas Gas & Electric Co., as an apprentice engineer for about $50 a week. There were engineers there who were members of The Wichita Jaycees, a leadership training organization, gained while performing projects to improve the community. I was invited to a Jaycee meeting. The weekly noon luncheons were held at the Allis Hotel. At the meetings they required each person to introduce himself and tell where he worked. I was so shy it was hard to get on my feet and do this. I immediately took to the organization because I knew that I needed to get over my extreme shyness and I felt this organization could help me with this social asset.
I became chairman of projects such as “Teen - Age - Rodeo,” “Operation Big Count,” and others and was elected to the board of directors, and then to 3rd Vice President. Most of the ‘50s were taken up with my activities in the Jaycees, going to State and National Jaycee meetings and involved in the organization in any and all ways I could. In fact I was so involved and took so much unauthorized time away from my job at KGandE they fired me after two and a half years on the job. So in November of 1954 I was out looking for a job! I applied at Boeing and was hired January 3, 1955 at twice the salary I was making at KGE - so I guess getting fired was a blessing in disguise.
Anderson, Jones, Shouse, Aronis, Don Myer, Grisamore.
Vic Harris had a beer joint on South Market Street in ‘52. It was noisy and had a small dance floor. Jeri and I had some dances and some drinks. She was from Whitewater but stayed with her aunt on North Delrose while in town. At closing time, she was wobbly and I offered to take her home. We made it in the back seat of my old ‘39 Buick in the driveway of her aunt’s house. During the next year we met at various locations and clubs and always ended up in the driveway or in the front room of the house with her Aunt and Uncle in an upstairs bedroom. She never told me any thing about if she was married or had kids in Whitewater. She was rather tall, about 5’8,” but what a body!
Shirley and I made some trips to Las Vegas during the ‘50s to see dad. We bought a new, green, 1953 Pontiac.
Fred Jr., third from left, and pals at Wichita Municipal swimming pool
One of my first jobs with KGE was to drive through the alleys and streets of Wichita to “Spot” the transformers on the poles and note their size and location so KGE could update their equipment maps. One such trip took me to the Pleasant Valley area where I noticed new homes going up. I inquired, and against the advice of Shirley’s father, who was in the real-estate business, bought a new $15,000 house for $126.00 a month. This was in 1955 and I had just started with Boeing at about $100 a week. Clearance and Ruth Ringler and 11 year old daughter, Sally, had just moved into their new home across the street. Precocious Sally was always over wanting to help me do my chores or anything to be around me to the extent I was afraid Shirley would notice and tell her to stay home (which she should have). In the next year or two she would come over and ask me to help her with her math. It was obvious she was infatuated with me and even started writing love notes to me. It must have been in her genes because I later learned that she had the same type of relationship with a Boeing employee, about my same age, 33, who was married and lived behind her house on the next street by the name of Bowen. At 16 she wanted me to make love to her, but there was no way I was going to go to jail for statutory rape - I still wonder how Bowen reacted to the situation when she was over at his house. Bowen was an artist and made some beautiful portraits of her. I later married Sally - but that is 25 years down the road!
I was elected President of the Junior Chamber of Commerce April, 1958. I had run against George Short and Vic Paulin in 1955 and lost to George
Short. This time I won even though immediate past Jaycee president, Ed Law, supported another candidate. I enjoyed the Jaycees very much - I made life long friends. Committee meetings kept me out many nights and after which I would stop at Abe’s club on the way home for a drink and perhaps to see if any stray good-looking girls might have a dance with me.
Abe’s club was a terrible magnet for me to pass as I came home from Jaycee committee meetings. “Freddie” the bar tender there would pour me a free one if I was out on “"materiel.” One night “Terry” sat on a bar stool next to an empty one when I came in. We had a couple dances and our chemistry was really right. I walked her to her car, a gold ‘59 Chev, and a few kisses later we said goodnight. She was there at Abe’s the next night and we continued where we left off. She was married to Jim and had two boys ages about 2 and 4. Jim was a telephone man, I guess he took care of problems on the lines. He worked the late shift - so she had some evening times free. Our passion grew hotter and Abe’s parking lot was too visible for us to really express our love. For $65 a month I rented an apartment down on South Broadway we used for our hide - a - way. I hung an old coat jacket in the closet and put some milk in the refrig - I thought I could fool the landlord to think I really lived there. But actually she was only interested in my $65. One night about 2 am we came out and got in my car and drove off - heading for Abe’s where she had parked her car. I noticed a car was following us and I thought it might have been Jim who had discovered our play house location. I hit the gas and my tail was definitely following me - I was in deep S. Then red lights started flashing on top of the car - I felt sort of a relief that it was'nt Jim. The cops had a report of some break - ins in the area. They searched the car and let us go after I told them that we were both married and would be in deep S if they took us to the station.
We had it bad and felt we had to be together more often. We decided to get our spouses and “accidentally” meet at the “Tropics” a beer joint on North Broadway. We pulled it off and we became a “foursome” doing things together. I signed Jim up in the Jaycees. Terry would pick me up at noon at the office (Boeing at that time had some offices in downtown buildings) and bring lunch which we shared with kisses. One day she told me she and Jim were'nt getting along so well and she wanted a divorce and would I consider doing the same with Shirley. Wow, I really did'nt want this to happen even though I suspected that Shirley’s former Denver boss, Lowen DeShon, was making trips to Wichita to see her. One noon when we were parked near Broadway and 3rd and she had me on the spot for an answer - Jim’s telephone truck drives up parallel to us and he says “What are you two doing”? I was glad not to have to answer her question while fearful that Jim might have a gun and finish me off. We three went to “Henry’s” and had coffee and agreed to end the affair. Three days later Terry called and said she was leaving Jim and would I help her find a place and help her move. I picked her up with a backseat filled with her clothing and her two boys and rented an apartment, with two months rent in advance (that I paid). Three days later she decided she would go back to Jim and left the apartment with her clothing and boys. That night when I came home from a Jaycee meeting their car was in my drive - I knew the shit had hit the fan! We all agreed it had to end. Terry gave me back a single pearl necklace I had given her and that was the end of that. To be sure of it Jim ask for and received permission to transfer to California. She wrote several letters, but finally decided I was not going to divorce Shirley and marry her. For the next 20 years, each noon time I would take my lunch and eat it in the car parked 100 yards from her folks house hoping to get a glimpse of her if she ever came to visit them. I think I saw her twice. I think she and Jim got divorced and she moved back to Wichita and married some one with the last name of Johnson. I saw her at her mother's funeral in 1998 - I think it was her! - still slim - and a referance was made to her that she was "The wild one" at the funeral.
The last time I saw her on our last "date."
To view 1960s, go to:
http://lifeandtimesoffredhadley1960s.blogspot.com/
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