In December 1948, winter break was approaching and Miriam Wetzel, a sophomore at Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio, needed a ride home to Akron.
After asking around among her friends and acquaintances, someone informed her that a senior named Gerald “Jug” Ridinger was driving to Hudson that weekend to be in a wedding.
He was taking two bridesmaids and another girl home to the same area. (Remember, at this time the interstate highway system we know today didn't exist.)
After asking around among her friends and acquaintances, someone informed her that a senior named Gerald “Jug” Ridinger was driving to Hudson that weekend to be in a wedding.
He was taking two bridesmaids and another girl home to the same area. (Remember, at this time the interstate highway system we know today didn't exist.)
Miriam soon approached Jug and asked if he had room for another passenger. Before he answered, he stepped back, looked her up and down and said, “How much do you weigh?”
Apparently Miriam’s weight made the cut. She joined the three other girls in Jug’s car on the trip to northeast Ohio that weekend and remembers having some great laughs along the way. To keep the conversations going, Jug, who had been a Marine in WWII, told stories about the war to entertain the passengers.
Miriam and Jug started dating when classes at Otterbein began again in January. Their first date was Miriam’s 19th birthday. If Jug had known she was so young, he might not have asked her out, but on their third date, he said, “I want to marry you.” That’s the closest resemblance to a proposal that Miriam ever received. As they continued to date and grow closer, it became obvious to both of them that marriage was in their future.
On June 16, 1951, the Saturday following Miriam’s college graduation ceremony, Miriam and Jug were married.
Sixty years later, after many good memories, laughs, family vacations and more, the couple remains happily married and looks forward to many more years together. They recently traveled to the Pocono Mountains with their four children and their spouses, eight grandchildren and one great-grand-child for their every-five-year wedding anniversary trip and family photo.
Miriam and Jug remember their first trip together, more than sixty years ago. Before Jug had reached any of his passengers’ homes, one of his tires went flat, the one on Miriam’s side of the car.
But luckily he decided to keep Miriam around anyway!
