A Visit with Old Friends

Friday -- South King County:

The First Wife and Grumpy stopped by to visit old South Dakota friends, Jack and Elinor, this morning. The two ladies chatted away for a too-short visit (which lasted over an hour and a half!) while Jack and Grumpy nursed a couple cups of good old-fashioned, Navy-type* coffee as they reminisced of days of yore when their youth was not yet spent.

Memories unearthed in the process between these two ex-Boeing compatriots (and ex-Mechanical Engineering Instructor/Student relationship at SDSM&T) included incidents of fishing with our old Professor, Eldon Stensaas; professional embarassment of Grumpy in front of said Professor "Stens"; memories of the time Grumpy's older brother boiled his woolen underwear dry in the apartment shared by Jack and Jim; and memorable as well as forgettable school renunions.

Jack started at SDSM&T the same year as brother Jim. Grumpy's older sister, Donagene started a year later. Both Jim and Donagene graduated from the Mines in 1943 -- Jim in June and Donagene in December. Jack joined the US Navy in 1940, serving until 1945; he graduated with a double degree (ME and EE) in 1947. Following graduation, Jack accepted a postion as an Instructor in the Mechanical Engineering department where Professor Stensaas was the department head.

After his discharge from the Navy in July 1947, Grumpy started at the Mines as a Sophomore, having completed two years of Engineering-type course work as a Naval Aviation Cadet. Grumpy's choice of the Mechanical Engineering department was filled, so he was encouraged by brother Bob to enroll in the Geology department, which had vacancies! Six months later, having established himself as a bona fide student, he transferred from the Geol to the M. E. department.

The Meekers' and the Zimmermans' friendship span more than a half a century, dating back to Grumpy's start at the School of Mines, but stretching even further back -- to 1939 -- when Jack and brother Jim shared a basement room on 8th Street in Rapid City. Their friendship drew closer as both families, living in Seattle, raised children of nearly the same ages and as Jack and Grumpy worked together on projects at Boeing. Such friendships are the most treasured of anything that can be found on this Earth in this mortal life.

*"Navy-type" coffee is that which is said to have been brewed on a Saturday morning, in a 55-cup percolator, is kept hot until the following Wednesday morning when it is proclaimed "ready to serve"; cream and sugar are necessary additions!!