Again, Marilou talked us into joining Phillip's Mill Community Center. We just did not need any more social activities and did not participate in many of the affairs. I frankly think Eddie and I have become quite jaded and are getting more selective all the time. I allowed Alice Bentley to persuade me into joining the Art Committee of Phillip's Mill and I knew right from the beginning it was not for me. Number one, so much of the so called art was plain crap. There was some wonderful work though. Also I found what is always the case these days, there are only a few doing all the work. The rest work, have small kids or are too old. So I resigned from the Art Comm. and the Mill.

I loved all of our trips and enjoyed planning them. We have had lots of fun on all of them. The trailer was great. The travel we did on our own was wonderful. Even though we said we'd never do it, our escorted trips have been outstanding.

On one of our trailer trips around the country we stopped in Houston, Tex. and met my cousin, Elmer Folk, for lunch. I hadn't seen him in years. It was fun for me because we had always lived so far away from all my Tex. kin. Elmer and I started planning a family reunion. It took a few years but Elmer and his son, Rusty, got one together. I did my best to help from a distance. The first Rickelmann Family Reunion was held in Marlin, Tex. in 1984. It was a huge success and since then we have had four more. They were held in San Antonio, Galveston, Marlin again and Austin. We have them every two years. We will go back to Marlin in 1994.

In 1988 Eddie was in bad shape for over two months with polymyalgeia rheumatica which I am sure was brought on by a deer tick bite the year before. And our dear friend, Bob Applegate died. He was the first one of the Ass's to die. It was so sad. Eddie and I were not even able to attend the funeral because he had to go to the doctor's.

It was around this time that I decided to work on the Beadle side of Eddie's family. I had been told that they lived on the Main Line in the 1800's so I called a Theodore Beadle in Ardmore. He said that his brother was interested in family research also so I called him. He was delighted to hear from me. He and Eddie (also Ted) are distant cousins and we have been able to help each other. Their common ancestors were James Beadle and Amy Jenner Beadle. They Came from England in 1832. We and Ed Beadle and his wife, Mary Jane, have become good friends.

1989 was a special year because on Nov. 25th we were married for 50 years.(Sister Wilfred said it would never last). We did not want a big "shin-dig" and because we have so many friends, old and new, there would be no end to the guest list. We would not know where to stop. Also, Eddie and his family would not be able to come. So we decided to have a small luncheon with just Carolyn and our oldest friends. We had a very low-key affair at the Sergentsville Inn, Sergentsville, N.J. Present besides Carolyn and ourselves were Billie and Fred Bahls, "Duch" and Bob Reitinger and "Bunnie" and Carl Vogt. It was lovely and we enjoyed it.

next: The Nineties
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