Elmer and Marvel, The Beginning

Our story starts with Elmer and Marvel.

Although it is hard to imagine an Elmer and Marvel story that doesn't include their many children, grandchildren, family and friends; there was a time focused on just the two of them.

With few still alive who can recount these courting years, Elmer and Marvel gifted us with their written correspondence, beautifully documenting this wonderful first chapter of their life together. Some of these letters sweetly fall in the love letter category, while others are a journaling of their ordinary days, apart and together, filled with hopeful thoughts of the moment.

Their love story began during World War II and would go on to span through the turn of the century. The earliest date of their correspondence was May of 1941. Elmer and Marvel met at St. Joe's Hospital in Sioux City, Iowa where Marvel was a Registered Nurse. Although Elmer was going to school for pre-med courses at Trinity College in the same city when they met, he later began attending veterinary school at Iowa State, the beginning of a long distance courtship. With Elmer busy with school and the Army ROTC and Marvel with her strenuous hours at the hospital, the couple would still find time to visit each other via train, as well as enjoy each other's families.

Elmer grew up in a big German Catholic family, known throughout Plymouth County for their kindness and fun ways (reference Grandpa's family tree). The twelve Pick siblings would spend their evenings playing in a family band with brothers making up a quartet. The Pick brothers were very close and worked tirelessly, side-by-side on their farm. Of the twelve siblings, four of Elmer's sisters later became nuns and two brothers became priests.

Although born in the United States, Elmer spoke only German until he began school and was taught English.

Always referring to The Great Depression as "The Dirty Thirties", Elmer would later have a deep foreboding look and spirit that overtook him when he talked about those years. The unrelenting fear of another Depression plagued Elmer for life (insert timeline of Elmer from birth to marriage).

Elmer knew this fear firsthand as his family bravely fought to the bitter end to keep their family farm. Purchased in 1896 by his father, Adam Pick, Elmer's mother, Mary, took over after Adam suffered a stroke in 1922. On his deathbed Adam told his wife to sell the farm because there was no way she could pay off the debt owed on it. As typical of the deeply Catholic Pick's, Mary later consulted their parish priest who then told her the Lord would help them and not sell the farm.

Mary listened to the priest, believing with her large family they would together make a go of it. This did not play out even with the desired devine intervention.

Later in the 1930's, Elmer's mother announced that she wanted to write President Roosevelt and ask for his help. Her hope was that they wouldn't lose the farm for back taxes. In the end, her children talked her out writing the letter. In later years, they acknowledged regret thinking maybe the president would have done something and saved the farm for them after all.

By 1940, the last parcel of Pick land was gone and no longer in the family ownership. Elmer was able to buy back 80 acres of his family land in 1954 after saving money over the years with this goal always close to his heart. His brother, Sylvester, was able to do the same with another 80 acres including the 40 that housed the home place.

Sixty miles from Elmer's birthplace lived Marvel Hahn. Although Marvel had many similarities in her upbringing to Elmer, there were subtle differences.

She and her siblings were raised on a farm in Cherokee County, Iowa. In 1936, when Marvel was in high school, her family also lost their farm. When her family moved to a farm rental in another town, Marvel instead moved in with her grandparents enabling her to graduate from Quimby High School in 1937. Like Elmer, Marvel's dad passed away young, dying of a heart attack in 1955.