On Saturday, September 21, 2019 Jean Borgeson had the privilege to drive Virgene Morse to the Iowa Arboretum to attend the wedding of her granddaughter, Michaela Ostendorf to Samuel Van De Berg. Michaela is the daughter of Terry and Diane (Morse) Ostendorf. We needed to be there early enough for pictures and as we headed east, we wondered if the rain would interfere with the planned outdoor ceremony.
Michaela’s other grandparents, Dick and Sharon Ostendorf, arrived at the same time as we did. We were early and I found myself seated by Dick while the grandparents waited for their turn in front of the camera. I have to admit, I enjoy teasing sometimes and Dick is a “sitting duck” for me when we get to talking. I told him I had never been to the Iowa Arboretum and he said he remembered being there once when he was with a group of boys who were camping across the river at Camp Matigwa. I was hoping for a good story about the boys rowing by moonlight across the river to see the girls and tried to get some details, but somehow his memory faded! He said he was afraid he would get his name in the paper! Gee, I hope he talks to me the next time I see him!!
The outside pictures were taken in spite of the sprinkles, but the wedding ceremony at the gazebo was changed to the reception room, when the rain continued. Everyone took the change in stride and it was a lovely ceremony with plenty of humor continuing throughout the rest of the evening.
I was seated next to Delores (Morse) Blanshan and she was lamenting the fact that she was getting old. Delores and Kevin’s son Eric and his wife Dana Blanshan, had flown in for the wedding and they will become parents in a few weeks so becoming a grandma and now her first niece was married so Delores was a little wistful about how time seems to pass so fast. I couldn’t help reminding her she was talking to the wrong person, as I was looking at my flower girl, 56 years ago in November. I had fun filling her kids about how cute their mother was on that day, so long ago! They want pictures. I wonder how deep I will have to dig for that discovery! It was a great afternoon and evening.
– Jean Borgeson