Color Scheme

Subscribe now

One dance was all it took for couple to fall in love

Leon Williams dropped out of high school at 17 to enlist in the Navy during World War II. He married Dorothy on April 6, 1947. Last year his small town high school awarded him his high school diploma. (Colin Mulvany/SR photo)
By D.F. Oliveria daveo@spokesman.com(509) 319-0354
Leon Williams dropped out of high school at 17 to enlist in the Navy during World War II. He married Dorothy on April 6, 1947. Last year his small town high school awarded him his high school diploma. (Colin Mulvany/SR photo)
Leon Williams dropped out of high school at 17 to enlist in the Navy during World War II. He married Dorothy on April 6, 1947. Last year his small town high school awarded him his high school diploma. (Colin Mulvany/SR photo)

The Huntington Park Ballroom was awash in men in uniform in 1946, but Dorothy Wunderlich, 17, had eyes for only one.

A tall, handsome sailor with piercing blue eyes had shown up late, but still managed to secure a dance with Dorothy.

“We danced to ‘Goodnight Ladies,’ ” she recalled. “It was the last dance of the night.”

From their log home in Elk, Dorothy smiled at her husband, Leon Williams.

“I called him my boyfriend after one dance,” she said. “I already had him cornered.”

Leon didn’t mind a bit. The 19-year-old had survived a rough childhood and already spent months at sea while serving with the Pacific fleet/Cindy Hval, SR. More here.

Question: How many siblings did you have? And/or: How many children do you have? And/or: How many children do you wish you’d had?

* This story was originally published as a post from the blog "Huckleberries Online." Read all stories from this blog