Just because WWII was declared 'over' in late 1945, didn't mean Dad got to come home right away.  There was clean up to do.  This included re-patriating Japanese prisoners of war and surrendered Japanese soldiers out of China and back to their homeland.  It was Spring of 1946 before Dad made his way back as a civilian to his home in south central Missouri.  By then this brother, Eddie, had already been released from his duty in the Navy Sea Bees during WWII and had opened the Normandy, a little cafe at a wide spot in the road directly off the historic Route 66.

After looking for work, Jerry walked into the Normandy looking for a ride the rest of the way home.  Eddie asked a local patron if he and his date would mind dropping Jerry ofrf on their way home.  The young man turned to his date to ask her if she would min taking Jerry home.  She was quite okay with him going because she wanted to get to know this stranger a little better.

She had noticed him the moment he walked into the cafe.  Colleen knew of this dark curly haired, handsome young man but had never had an opportunity to be introduced or exchange conversation.  When her date walked up to the register to pay the bill, Colleen told her girlfriend that Jerry Ash was the man she was going to marry!

Colleen scooted as close to the driver as possible when they piled into the car.  She was hoping that Jerry would sit by her but to her disappointment he climbed into the back of the car.  WIth their first goodbye they dropped Jerry at his home.  The very next morning Mom walked the mile and a half from her house to the Normandy to ask Eddie if he needed any help in the cafe.  So happened he did so she went to work the same day.

The next day Jerry came into the cafe again only this time he asked the pretty girl out on a date.  For the next two weeks they saw each other daily and he couldn't wait to ask her to marry him.  She said a resounding "Yes".

Two weeks after asking her to marry, the couple decided to elope.  Jerry hocked his service revolved for enough money get blood tests and a marriage license.  There would be enough left over for a wedding night supper and a room at the Blue Heaven Motor Hotel in Lebanon.  Early in the evening they found a Methodist minister home and who was willing to marry them (the Baptist preacher was out of town).  After a quiet ceremony witnessed by the preacher and his wife, they went to have supper.

Colleen had no idea how much money Jerry had to start their lives off with.   She waited some time for Jerry to make the first choice off the menu hoping she would have a guideline but no decision came.  She decided she'd make the first move by ordering the cheapest thing on the menu - a 25 cent bowl of chili served with saltine crackers.  The choice was a success and two bowls were ordered.  They ate chili and saltine crackers that first supper as a married couple and did so each wedding anniversary for the next 67 years.  The only exception was when their son, Jerry Randall (Randy) was born on their 6th wedding anniversary in 1952.  Mom was a littyle busy and Dad was caught in a snowstorm -- no chili that night!