Diane Russell
He was her first love. Their romance was mercurial, as many high school romances are.
Lois Wessling, my mom, graduated from Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, Iowa, in the spring of 1939. Ray, her boyfriend, planned to attend local Drake University. Of course, Lois wanted to live near him as a college student, but her parents did not want her to attend Drake and be near Ray. Lois came up with a Plan B: she was accepted at Iowa State University in Ames, 35 miles north of Drake, so she and Ray could visit each other on the weekends. One problem with Lois’ plan was that she chose home economics as her major. Her family was wealthy enough to have live-in maids, so she had not honed any domestic skills. Nevertheless, Lois prepared for her move to Iowa State in September.
One August evening at dinner with her parents, Lois’ future changed forever.
