Hi Ronnie,
Thanks again for all your hard work on your site. I plan to check it out later
on today.
I didn’t, by any means, intend to ignore you question about my move to
California… just slipped my mind I guess. You asked, so here goes. When I
resided in Elmira, I worked for Westinghouse in Horseheads, which is where I met
my hubby-to-be. I built a 3 inch long, half-inch wide vidicon tube used as a
’seeing eye’ on the Trident missile. Very interesting to say the least! I
happened to get in on the project when it was still in the engineering stage, so
it was fun (but also at times very frustrating) to watch this little bugger
develop. Eventually, we were able to fine tune and put the product on the
market at $10,000 per unit. That was a ton of money at the time (1970’s) and
our major customer, Singer-Kearfott Division, wanted a resident at Westinghouse
to oversee the project. That person (Jim, my hubby) and I became very close
after just a few months. He would actually tell everyone who would listen that
he ’sat on my lap’ to learn just what I was doing. Well, he didn’t actually sit
on my lap, but he often peered over my shoulder as I assembled the micro parts
and welded them to form the delicate tube. Much of the work was done through a
microscope so you might imagine we did get rather cozy at times.
We became good friends and I ended up spending my breaks in his office… just
getting to know him better. It worked and he asked me to marry him less that a
year after we first met. Jim, before he proposed, did advise me that if I were
to accept his proposal, I’d have to be willing to relocate. He had no intention
of spending the rest of his life in Elmira … shoveling snow!!! Keep in mind
that Jim was 20 years my senior, had been married before (for 29 1/2 years), and
had a grown family of 4 (the oldest was only 2 years younger than myself).
Jim’s home base for the Singer Co. was in San Marcos, CA and he owned a 3
bedroom condo in Oceanside, CA. Despite the age difference and the requirement
to relocate to this marvelous climate, I said ‘yes’ when the proposal came.
When we married in Elmira (July, 1977), I had a 2 1/2 year old daughter by a
previous relationship. Jim eventually adopted her (Amy) and we raised her
together… here in California with the blessings of both of our families. We
celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary this past July. Unfortunately, Jim
passed away this past August so I am living alone for the first time in my
life!! It has been a major adjustment, but I’m handling it fairly well. I miss
Jim very much, but take comfort in knowing that he is in a much better place and
free of pain.
Oh yes, Jim received an offer from Singer to return to the San Marcos site in
the summer of 1979 and he leapt at the chance to get back to the warmer winters.
Other than missing my friends and family back there, it was a wonderful
decision for us. We bought our house in Vista in 1983 and that is where I
reside yet today.
Our weather is crazy too, but in a good way. The past couple of weeks have
produced some much needed rain… and snow where your daughter lives further
north. It ’s a tad chilly to suit my old bones.. 54 degrees… sunny and breezy
as I write this. I know it could be worse so I’m really not complaining too
much.
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask… no secrets… my life is an
open book!
Take care,
Nancy
Contact Nancy at: nabeeman@cox.net
