Never was much of a student, but after World War II, knowing that my parents wanted all of their children to go to college, and since as a veteran one could attend college under the GI Bill, it seemed like what I should do.
It was hard to get into most colleges and so, for me, I ended up going to the University of Dubuque in Dubuque, Iowa. One of the students was graduating and he sold me his 1926 Model T Ford coach - two seated and two-door. On touring the country discovered an old brick mansion some fifteen miles west of Dubuque that had been abandoned. Found it had not been lived in for about forty years. It belonged to the local coal dealer. I persuaded him to let me fix it up with materials he would provide and then I could live in this old mansion for my effort.
I only, at that time, knew one other student that lived in Epworth. There was only one upstairs room that was free of leaks when it rained. That was my home.
My transportation was hitch-hiking, a bus, or my Model T. Usually my arrival in Epworth was early afternoon. There was an older man who kept a candy and cigar store in the center of Epworth. I would go and buy a quart of milk each day and go on to my house and have lunch. This went on for several weeks until one day one of the townspeople informed me that this Jim Lasher's refrigerator had gone bad and so Jim was going to Maxwell's store, buying a bottle of milk, so as to have it for me. Here I was, a perfect stranger, and he was doing that to help me. That is why I still thank the Good Lord for those Epworth new friends. That is where I met my Carol also.