Telling My Story: Getting a Stepmother

It was in August, 1950 that my father, Ernest L. Margheim, met Phyllis Jean Jones. He had been divorced since March from Ruby (Flanders) Margheim, and as the father of two-year old twins, was earning extra money by playing guitar in a dance band organized by Earl Haines in Great Bend, KS. Phyllis, single at age 27, had accompanied her friends Rose and son Donald Pizinger to one of those dances. 

When Ernest first took Phyllis to the home of his parents in Hoisington, KS, Becky and Dennis were playing outdoors with neighbor children. Phyllis asked which were Ernest's kids. He replied "The little blond girl and boy". I mention that because I never thought neither Dennis nor I were blond! But with our toddler hair in the blazing Kansas sun, we must have appeared so.

From right to left: Dennis and Becky Margheim, Diana,
Cora and Maxine (Jones) Sova. Maxine was the younger
sister of Phyllis. 

Right to left: Phyllis (Jones) with Becky Margheim,
Diana, Cora, and Maxine Sova

Ernest, Phyllis, Dennis and Becky Margheim
about 1953

Ernest and Phyllis were married at Concordia Lutheran Church in Hoisington, KS by The Rev. Charles Fredrickson on March 18, 1951.

Ernest and Phyllis with The Rev. Charles F. and Mrs. Fredrickson 

Left to right: John L. and Mollie (Koleber) Margheim, parents
of Ernest and Laura (Maupin) Jones, step-mother of Phyllis and
Henry James "Jim" Jones, father of Phyllis.

Easter, 1951 Dennis and Becky age 3, with grandparents
John and Mollie Margheim and our new step-
mother Phyllis (Jones) Margheim. We're in the backyard
of our grandparents' home at 114 E. 6th St, Hoisington, KS.

Phyllis had often roller skated and had her own
skates so she's accompanying us down the sidewalk
in front of Grandma's house in Hoisington. 

After Dad and "Mom" were married, they continued to reside with our grandparents while having a house built on the basement foundation of Dad's property in Great Bend, KS. The house was finished in time for us to move into it in the Fall of 1952, as Dennis and I were ready to start Kindergarten at E. E. Morrison School, just four blocks away.  

Looking Northeast at the garage and back yard of our house.

Dad was a gardener so our yard didn't look this
barren very long. 

This back door at the south side of our house
was the entrance to the "Basement House" I wrote about
in a previous post. Looking north at the
corner of 22nd and Jefferson St., Great Bend, KS 

As I recall these early years, I must comment again how incredibly blessed I was (1) to have my twin brother Dennis to go through these early life experiences with, (2) to have a father and grandparents who took their responsibilities seriously and provided such good care to us and (3) that Phyllis was willing to become a very caring, loving and attentive step-mother to her husband's children!