Carolyn and Roger Graetz

Post date: May 7, 2013 4:29:50 PM

At last I'm getting around to writing something. I do remember the first time I met your parents. It would have been March 1965. Carolyn was a baby. Not sure if she was walking or not. But Roger, Katie, Ted and I went to church at Bob's church. I had been to a Lutheran church only one other time in my life and that was two days after Roger and I were married. I had never prior to November 22nd, 1964 been in a Lutheran church. They did not have a Lutheran church in my small town of Vaiden, Mississippi.

Anyway on the Sunday in March, I noted all of Bob's and Jeannie's children would stand up when they were supposed to do so, and they had memorized and knew exactly when to stand and sit. It seemed to me they were constantly standing, saying what they were suppose to say, then sit down. I was impressed that all of these young folks (meaning children of Bob and Jeannie) knew exactly when to stand etc.

That same March of 1965 when Roger and I were in Sandusky, Ohio for the month, we received the message that Bob had gone to Alabama to march. That was the March from Selma to Montgomery. I remember the gleefulness when Katie and Ted found out Bob had lived through this. We were married in New Orleans only a few months before so I didn't really understand the whole thing at that time.

But in 1966 when Roger went into the United States Air Force, we were stationed in Montgomery, Alabama. I worked at one of the hospitals there and one day one of the doctors asked me if I were related to the Rev. Robert Graetz. I said he was my husband's cousin. Well, this doctor told me how much he admired what Bob had done.

I have to recall that Bob and Jeannie were willing to go to Hawaii so that Bob could perform the wedding ceremony of Murat and Gionne. That, of course, was Gionne's plan and purpose. Here was a Lutheran minister marrying a Presbyterian brought up child to a Muslim. Only Bob. We have the photos to prove it.

I'm sure I'll remember other remembrances at a later time, but I know this Sunday is Mother's Day. May all go well and you have all of our best wishes.

Carolyn and Roger