Back to Motel 6, Ralph my first assistant had been promoted and was controlling our furniture and supply warehouse and I had hired a new assistant - Jim Campbell. Jim and his wife Betty and their 17 year old daughter were needing somewhere to live. He was newly retired military as a major. He had been involved with the Nuremburg trials of German officers for war crimes (World War 2). With several of us having housing needs (Jim and his family, myself and Margaret) I managed to hustle up some furniture and we all moved in waiting its sale. Thank goodness the home had four bedrooms and 2 baths. That way we each had a bedroom and no one had to sleep in the living room. We shared foot costs and utilities, so that helped.
When Margaret came back from Vegas, she went job hunting and went to work for a Doctor Kuhn (orthodontis). He called me prior to hiring her and asked about her ability. I told him she was the best I had ever had and I would recomment her for any job. With Margaret working - the financial picture improved considerably and we could afford to eat! We were able to sell the house that Fall after we were married.
In the meantime, after work, Margaret would come by my office and help me with whatever I needed. We had decided to set up a motel manager training school, and advertise it as a free course. The whole course had to be set up , organized completely and submitted to the State of California. I roughly laid out the training format and schedule and Margaret took it from there, typing up all the instructions including the tests on each phase. We received full accreditation from the State of California for our school.
Margaret and the Mustang I got her, and below in the studio apartment we moved into after selling the house.
We ran a class a month at the school, ranging from 6 to 10 couples. We were able to pick the best and offer them jobs.
Margaret worked more free hours for me and Motel 6 than she did at her regular job. Sue was to go to Nevada for our divorce but she started to resist the six week resident requirement. So I checked out the infamous Mexico divorce and the State would accept it if both parties signed and had it notarized in the State of California. So to make it easier on Sue, this is what we did.
I got a phone call one Friday afternoon (August 5th) saying the judge had approved it. I called Margaret at work and asked her when? This weekend or next? She said Now, Now! I said Yes! Yes!. Margaret, Jim, Betty and I left late Friday afternoon for Law Vegas. We were wed August 6, 1966 in the Little Chapel of the Flowers and became 'One Forever".
Margaret told you about our problem with the Palm Desert motel and how we handled that the next day, but she didn't tell you about her boss Doc Kuhn when she asked for the Monday off to get married. He said yes - and who are you marrying. She told him. He stated "No wonder you got such a good recommendation!".
We took a few short trips so I won't add to that, except the photo of her with the Mustang.
We got lucky and sold the house, so Sue and I got a little money and I got a lot of the debt removed. We found this small apartment over a garage consisting of a bath, kitchen and one large room (living, dining and bedroom) with a walk out deck on the hillside 900 feet above the city of Santa Barbara, the ocean and the offshore islands. We loved it. Total cost with utilities and cable TV was $95 a month. With my reduced payments and Margaret working we were doing better.
I'm going to back up a bit here and write a little about myself and Bill Ripley. My brother Bill and Don Ripley were buddies and I was close to both Cecil and Bill Ripley. While in school Billie would come by and we would go to sporting events together. After Sue and I were married and had Katrina, Billie would visit. We got along fine. When we were out of town, about once a year, during a work break, Billie would show up and usually stay a day or so. he watched Katrina grow up. He was part of our family. Right after Margaret and I married, one Saturday afternoon he showed up in Santa Barbara. He came in, we were talking and Margaret entered the room. I said, Billie I would like you to meet my new wife Margaret. I thought I would have to hold him up. Apparently no one had told him. He was truly shaken. He stayed overnight and the three of us went out to dinner and finished the evening off by bowling a few lines. This was Margaret's first ten-pin bowling attempt. He was working on the dam at Los Banos and was living up there but still bowling in a league in Fresno weekly.
I suggested he top by and visit with Sue and Katy. I was sure they would enjoy it.
In October we were at the Caruther Fair and looked up and saw Billie and Sue walking hand-in-hand laughing. I said to myself "God Bless you Both".
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