12/22/2020
A Tribute to Marji - Recently received this letter from a lifelong friend and have shared it with probably 25 or so family and friends. Now I want to share it with the world. Marji is in the blue blouse and JT in the grey BSU T shirt. Looking on are also good friends, the Fullmers. Taken in JT's garage at one of his many parties in 2013. It's rather lengthy but well worth the read, I believe
Roger,
I still haven't come to grips with the fact that lovely Margie is no longer with us. It seems like just yesterday that I met the two of you but in reality, it was over 65 years ago. That seems impossible in my aging mind! I will always remember how you and I met, me, a New Yorker coming here with a gang mentality, scared to death of a city I had never been to and worrying if I would survive. Thank God you were the first person I met because your warm smile and welcoming attitude at least told me I might have a chance! You invited me to the Roundhouse Drive In with a promise of a ride in your car. You kept your promise and later went inside where I met one of the most beautiful ladies I would ever meet, Margie! Her lovely smile, warm attitude and again, a welcoming attitude cemented my thoughts that indeed, I might survive after all. I started hanging out at the Roundhouse where you introduced me to so many people, a lot of which are still good friends today! I met Gordon, Margie's brother, a big, gregarious, teddy bear of a man that treated me like he had known me forever! When I was broke, which in those days was very frequently, there was always a free hamburger and coke. It was never said, but I knew it was from Margie!
About the time you two got married I was thrown out of the house and had no place to go! There again was my hero, letting me live in his coal bin! My first “apartment!” Of course we saw more than ever of each other then, which meant, to my delight, that I saw more of Margie! It was about that time that I promised myself if I met a girl here she had to be just like Margie. I also truly wondered if there possibly could be another one! It was also about this time that I realized there really was something special about Margie! As the ol saying goes with Margie “what you saw was what you got!” No frill, no acting, no pretense, no drama, just a beautiful, caring lady! That was a first for me!
I realize now, after all of these years, that there was really something special about my relationship with you and Margie. Most friends come in and out of our lives but our friendship was continuous. We have been constant friends, never losing touch after all of these years. I had become a hot rodder so I bought all of my parts from you at Little Wheel. When you moved to Service City I did also. When you started Automotive West there I was, and the whole time there was lovely Margie!
Fortunately, I met my Margie! She was also a car hop but at A&W Root beer. We were raising our families now, but still stayed in touch. I watched Margie raise your kids and you had to be so proud, look how well they have turned out!
I heard from Margie over the years, she would call and ask for a favor. Of course it was never for her, always for you Roger! I loved it as she always made me feel so good afterwards. She always had a way of doing that! One of or best secrets was when she helped me get you to the Firebird awards banquet! We really pulled it of, as you had no idea you were getting special recognition as a hot rod pioneer! I had the good fortune of introducing you! It was a GREAT evening and no one was more proud than Margie!
The years had flown by so quickly, it was now time to retire. You sold your parts store, I sold my dealership but that didn't affect our friendship a bit. We worked together on Idaho Hot Rod History and went to coffe together. And we had parties which you and Margie always attended! I used to tell her life wasn't fair. I was getting older and she was getting prettier! She would laugh and say “you always say that!” I would agree, and tell her that was because it was true, and it was!
And then came the Pandemic! We had to stop seeing each other, but we stayed in touch by e-mail! Then came that fateful call from Steve Kimball. Margie was not expected to live! I'm not ashamed to tell you I have shed more tears over Margie than anything in years!
it just doesn't seem possible that over 65 years have past, 65 GREAT years! I will always think of Margie, being fortunate to know that I had the friendship of one of the finest ladies in the world! Whom ever coined the phrase “ a real class act” had Margie in mind!
Finally Roger, I thank God often for allowing you to be the first person I met in my new home! You changed my life more than you will ever know! I am SO happy to see the word hero on your grave stone, as you always have been, and always will be, my hero!
My thoughts and prayers are with you as I must sign off now as the keys are getting blurry! Your friend always, JT
