Joyce Gehringer
To Annie, Mary, Jimmy and Katie:
I loved your Mom like she was my sister, mostly for her sharp and astute sense of humor. i first knew her as my good friend Betty (Hartnek) Gehringer's college friend, married to Jim, Chuck Gehringer's friend (since they were 4 years old). So we all attend the same parties. (You could see why Betty and Mo were friends = lots of laughs). Then Betty introduced my brother to her neice, who married--because Mo knew everyoe in Betty's family, the union made us feel closer. And then in 1992, I married Chuck Gehringer. From then on we were out to eat or partying (every New Years Eve at our house), and frequented restaurants on Wed. night--Mo called it "Jim's Night to Cook!" We went to so many of your weddings. Chuck was a godfather to one of you, but he didn't know which one so tried to pretended he knew [common in those baby bomb days].
We even visited them in FLA two times, There is a beatiful photo of the four of us just as we were leaving last time (I think Annie took it) that I cherish--mainly because Jim was not doing so well, but during that stay, he never turned down a beach walk with his oldest friend, Charley. (These days it seems amazing we all got along so well, because we certainly were in different pews politically: we just avoided the subject.)
After Charley died in Jan. 2016, Mo and I frequently talked on the phone. And then we didn't. (Maybe phone numbers changed.) I suspected Jim had died sometime after that, but never realized he would have lasted as long as he did. Considering their health problems, both of them had a long run.
Last week was my first day of reading Sunday obituaries--so glad I did. Was most shocked to see that Maggie died--we were at her fabulously memerable wedding..
I will be passing the news of Mo's death to the surviving Gehringer children, whom I'm sure will be saddened. (Chuck's son Charley died suddenly about a year after Chuck did of diabetis). Please write me when you decide on a memorial. Joyce Gehringer, 7 Sylvan, Pleasant Ridge, MI 48069. or joygeh@gmail.