Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

Dec 3 – 1917       (In later handwriting)
  (The first meeting with Bertha Kenreich – who was working at the
“Oriental’ (Variety store) for the Christmas rush, room and boarding at Stamps. – Mother, Louise and Frances had met the Kenreich’s through our next door neighbor’s, Coy’s, who prior to their move to Salem had lived on the farm just south of K’s – Bertha had been invited to our house for supper and evening.
     It was a rather painful affair – Both Jim + I were bashful, so whatever conversation there was had to be supplied by Mother and “the girls” – Once they had to go to the kitchen, leaving us men alone with her – The silence that prevailed then can only be described as stony –
     At the time I was still wearing “half-moon” glasses, (really crescent-shaped) and Bertha confessed to me much later that I looked positively weird to her – Her impression of me was not improved