The College Years
Summer 1959—Ruth graduated high school in Jan 1959. That summer, Pat & Mildred purchased a new home 12 miles northeast of Southern Ave, in the rural village of Kingsville. Pat had always wanted land and this ½ acre property at 12122 Jerusalem Rd suited him.
The front porch, veranda, and driveway that featured in so many photos over the years.
This early image shows the house as it looked when Ruth first moved in, lacking mature trees & with fewer neighbors.
Two NY families visit Kingsville. Four on left: Cousin Marie, Uncle Frank, Cousin Vera, & Frank’s wife Millie. Four on right: Uncle Gene (Eugene) and his wife Tesse. Behind them are sons Angelo and John (middle brother X is missing). Photo taken in the backyard near the veranda and outside the dining room window.
On the same occasion & location, but Pat, Ruth, & Mildred step in: Aunt Millie, Aunt Tessie, Cousin Angelo, Cousin Vera, father Pat, Ruth, Cousin John, Cousin Marie, mother Mildred, Uncle Eugene, & Uncle Frank
Pat’s brother Gene (Eugene) and his wife Tesse, probably in their Brooklyn home.
Summer 1959?—Ruth & her parents possibly visiting Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College) as a prospective student.
Fall 1959?—Ruth & “Aunt” Annie in Kingsville, possibly before Ruth left for college.
Fall 1959?—Ruth & her parents, possibly on her first day at Western Maryland College (WMC).
The WMC campus
Baker Chapel (Little Baker) on the WMC campus
The WMC campus
Ruth visiting the former WMC campus (now McDaniel College) in Mar 2022 with Dave. Her dorms were in the building behind her.
Ruth in Alumni Hall at WMC. Completed in 1899, the historic building was specifically constructed to serve as a primary gathering space for commencement exercises, banquets, literary society meetings, and religious services.
Betty & Seth Hester, friends from church, visiting Ruth at WMC.
Summer 1960—This was the first summer after moving to Kingsville & Ruth’s youth group from Jerusalem Lutheran Church visited the Verdone’s new property.
Summer 1960—Ruth with members of the church youth group. The older man on the right is likely Pastor Manrodg.
Summer 1960?—Ruth began dating Billy Yutzy in high school and they continued for a short while into college. This was taken at his parent’s house in Rehoboth Beach, DE.
Sep 2, 1961—Ruth with Allen Spicer in Bethpage NY for the Labor Day weekend. She had continued to date Billy Yutzy since high school, but met Allen in the spring of her freshman year (1960). Allen was 5 yrs older & in seminary. He was likely on campus because his father was head of WMC’s math department.
Sep 2, 1961—They began dating pretty seriously, which explains why he went with her to visit Ruth’s family in NY for the long Labor Day weekend. Her parents thought they would marry, but he was an only child who was coddled by his mother. When his mother made it clear Ruth would soon be taking over care of the 25-year-old man, Ruth’s interest in him waned quickly.
Each summer in college, Ruth worked at Edgewood Arsenal (now Aberdeen Proving Ground—APG), a US defense research facility. Ruth likely dressed for a social event held by Edgewood.
Ruth on a date with Lt Ed Otto, a co-worker from Edgewood Arsenal. Not everyone she dated from Edgewood was an officer, but many were.
All that survives of a date with Ruth is this image of the man’s amazing 1960 Triumph TR3. Ruth recalls he came to WMC for a dance, was from NC, and was possibly a cousin or other relative of Mary’s brother. He was a pilot and took Ruth for a flight in a small plane (of course a pilot drove a cool car!).
Come to think of it, this may be Ruth’s mystery date/pilot/owner of awesome 1960 Triumph TR3.
The presence of Donald & Joyce supports the notion that Ruth’s mystery date was possibly a cousin or other relative of Mary’s brother.
Ruth on her date with mystery man.
Ruth possibly dressed up for another Edgewood event.
Ruth on a date with Lenny Muller, a co-worker from Edgewood Arsenal. Lenny was from Wyoming, so Ruth taught him how to open Maryland crabs.
Ruth on a date with another person whose name she no longer remembers.
Ruth likely with members of her church youth group, possibly at Gettysburg or another retreat.
Ruth with Ann Weidermire, who dated Ruth’s brother Paul for several years. Ruth did not remember the house, so it may have been Ann’s house.
Ruth standing just outside her dorm building at WMC with an unknown friend.
Ruth outside the WMC dorms with two women should could no longer identify.
Ruth at WMC.
Ruth at WMC.
Jun 1963—Ruth’s formal graduation portrait from Western Maryland College.
Jun 1963—M. Ruth Verdone’s college graduation announcement.
Jun 3, 1963—Ruth at home possibly on graduation day.
Jun 3, 1963—Ruth on graduation day with good friend Mariam.
Jun 3, 1963—Martha “Marty” Olson was a couple years older than Ruth. They both went to WMC & attended youth group activities at Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Ruth on a date, possibly with Fran Stanton, whom she dated seriously for several years before briefly dating Paul (below).
Mar 1963—Paul Palumbo was a teacher who Ruth met in Fall 1962 while student teaching. She was only 20 years old and he was much older, so the relationship did not last long. This image was taken in the Kingsville driveway looking NE before there was a house there. This was mere months before meeting Jim.
After graduating from Concordia Teachers College in River Forest, IL in June 1961, Jim Neumann accepted his first teaching position at First Lutheran School in Towson. He lived on the upper floor of 44 E. Burke Ave—a home adjacent to the church with the downstairs converted into a classroom.
On Wed evenings Jim did laundry at Norge Laundry & Dry Cleaning in Towson, where Ruth’s mother worked. Knowing Jim was a relatively recent transplant to MD, she introduced him to her daughter when Ruth picked her up one Wed evening. Neither were particularly impressed with the other. She was dismissive and he thought she came across as snobby with her hair pulled back. First impressions aside, Jim invited Ruth to a concert under stars in Towson and she accepted.
Jun 1963—After graduation, Ruth joined her brother Pat and his family on a cross-country trip to Las Cruses, NM. Pat worked for NASA, deploying cameras on spacecraft and was assigned for the summer to the nearby White Sands Missile Range (WSMR).
Jun 1963—This may be Jim at the Kingsville house seeing Ruth off on her cross-country journey.
Jun 1963—Ruth & Jim with Pat’s kids Joyce, David & Donald in Kingsville (probably) before setting off on their cross-country journey.
Jun-Aug 1963—Pat, Mary, Ruth, Donald, Joyce, & David stayed in this tent trailer as they made their way across the United States. They visited Lookout Mt in Chattanooga on the drive west; visited Acoma Pueblo, Grand Canyon NP, and Zion NP in July; & Lake Tahoe, Grand Tetons NP, Yellowstone NP, Mt Rushmore, & Badlands NP on the return trip in August.
Jul 12 & 18, 1963—The Verdones stayed at the Mission Inn in Las Cruces while Pat worked at WSMR. Jim wrote letters to Ruth, first from his home in Towson and later from Illinois where he was taking summer courses to help him assume the role of principal. Note that zip codes were not widely used and the letters arrived despite the lack of a street address.
Jul 20 & 28, 1963—Jim wrote to Ruth at least four times in only two weeks!
Aug 1963—When Ruth returned, her mother offered to give her Jim’s address so she could write to him. Little did she know, the two had exchanged many letters throughout the trip. This photo was likely taken when Jim came to visit Ruth after she turned.
Aug 1963—Ruth was never impressed with Jim’s 1960 or 1961 Rambler Classic four-door sedan by American Motors Corporation (AMC). She felt the Rambler looked too much like a station wagon. When Jim proposed, it was by placing an engagement ring in the glovebox one rainy night. Fortunately, her opinion of the car did not cloud her feelings about the man driving it.
A sweet letter written to Jim from his mother about his budding romance with Ruth. In a triple coincidence: both their mothers were named Mildred, both of their fathers had birthdays in November, and Ruth and Jim’s mom also shared a January 19 birthday.
Autumn 1963?—Ruth & Jim in the living room at the Kingsville house. Now dating, Jim continued to teach 5th and 6th grade and was also named principal. Ruth began teaching at Hamilton Junior High School. The two decided on a summer wedding in 1964.
