I left Cedar Falls about 10:30 this morning on Google maps instruction that it would take me about an hour and a half to get to West Branch; I had told Jack that I would be there around noon. I left a little late, but the route was easy and I made up time on the way. Found the home of John and Kathy Fuller in West Branch just about noon. Though I have talked to Jack once or twice since we were in graduate school together, we hadn’t seen each other for at least 55 years. And I had never met Kathy. So I really didn’t know what to expect. I expected to be an hour or so with them, then be on my way.
First about the John and Jack stuff. In graduate school, John was always Jack. At an interview Jack started his introduction (I learned this from Kathy) by saying, “My name is John Fuller, but all my friends call me Jack.” But before he could get past the “. . , but . . .”, folks stood up and said, “Nice to meet you, John.” So to most folks, he is John Fuller. Even Coke calls him John. I still remember him as Jack.
I got to his house in West Branch (a beautiful place, four acres, trees and gardens, mostly Jack’s doing), got out of the car and Jack was waiting there. He asked if I wanted to stretch my legs, so he showed me around the place. After a tour, we sat on the front porch and just talked about us, and what we had been up to over the last half century. Soon Kathy came out and joined the conversation. If charming is defined as being interested in other people, they are both charming. We chatted for an hour or so, then went and got some Mexican food to bring home to eat. While the food was being prepared, Jack and Kathy took me to Herbert Hoover’s park in West Branch, where he was born and where his presidential library is located. It was Sunday, so nothing was open, but we walked through the 2-room cabin where he was born and saw the blacksmith shop where his father worked. Then Kathy picked up the food, and we had a pleasant meal outside on their front porch.
We could have talked for hours. As I was getting ready to leave, Jack said, “You know, we probably could have carried on this conversation for several days.” And we could have.
For someone I haven’t seen for 55 years, it was like we hadn’t missed a beat. Jack and Kathy are wonderfully warm people and I wish I could have spent more time with them. But the quest calls. Thank you Jack and Kathy.
I left about 3 and drove to Keokuk, arriving a little after five. After checking into a motel, I searched for someone I could talk to tomorrow about Joseph Roop and the library seems the best bet. More on what I find out, tomorrow.