From Jean Bieselin:

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       After seeing Tom around Springfield Gardens for a few weeks (and thinking how handsome he was with his curly blond hair and muscular build) I was finally introduced to him in front of the laundromat on 224th Street, it was St. Patrick’s Day, 1961. A long time later he told me he thought I was beautiful, and my long dark brown, wavy hair and cute figure made him want to meet me, too. I later found out that it was his turn to do the family's laundry and that is why he was at the laundromat. I thought he was amazing, because in my family only the females did "women's work"... that phrase soon disappeared from our lives... 

 

         When we met, we were "sort of" dating other people, but we started dating each other soon after my 16th birthday and it was wonderful being in love. We spent every minute possible together, and my heart still skipped a beat when I saw him walking down the street toward my house. We decided at 19 that we should date other people, so we would be sure if our love was true. We didn't want to get married and a few years later think we missed out on a better life.

 

            So, we dated other people and it was fun, but no one came close to being as intelligent, kind and loving as Tom. He could always make me laugh when I was sad.

 

             The worst time in our lives was when Tom went away to San Diego on active duty with the Marine Corps. We missed each other so much. We were best friends and it felt like we were missing a piece of ourselves. 

 

              Soon after Tom came home we decided to get married. Our marriage lasted only fifty years and every day I wish we could have had fifty more. 

 

              We had three beautiful daughters and one lovely granddaughter. Our daughters found the love of their lives and hopefully they will each have the good life Tom and I had. We had great times and not so great times. We had good jobs, not so good jobs. We supported each other through bad illnesses and good health. We had wonderful vacations, game nights, fishing trips, going to concerts (some not so good) ball games and bowling trips. It was a good life with Tom and we always leaned on our love to carry us through whatever life gave us.

 

                I miss him every minute of every day.

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June 1962

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