Curt’s father was a successful local entrepreneur, proprietor of Allen Iron Works (if I recall aright), and eventual near neighbor of Pappy and Norma on Olivewood Lane. Also a fellow-Rotarian with Pappy.

Curt owned the purple Model-T Ford which, jointly with Curt himself and Christy Sorenson, became a marvelous school-spirit mascot unit.

When we returned to Berdoo after our year at Stanford, Curt and his wife were living across Sixteenth Street from our homestead, in the home that had always been occupied by Jack Jernigan and his family, back when I was alive.

I had something of a case on her (from afar, quoth he needlessly), and we actually had one date together. Pretty tame: she came to church with me, one Sunday morning in 1958. She joined the Church, not long after, but only after she had grown up and left home. Her Lutheran parents weren’t enchanted with the idea.

The day Christy married Fred Elliot, she stopped in at Nielsen’s Pharmacy, where I worked. Seeing me, unexpectedly, she told me the big news and invited me to the festivities. Thunderstruck, I said something, but it can’t have been very graceful. She’s forgiven me, thank her and the Lord.