(Part 6 in series on Dwight Kessel)
By Ralphine Major
ralphine3@yahoo.com
They met at a pledge dance at The University of Tennessee (UT) in Knoxville. “I spotted a cute little brunette that my fraternity brother knew,” Dwight Kessel said. It was then that he was introduced to Gloria Jane Grubb. After graduating from UT, Kessel accepted an industrial engineering job (new position) at Knox Stove Works (Knox Metal Products) making $225 a month. He had been on the job less than a year when he and Gloria married on March 10, 1951.
Gloria’s father, Dr. Edgar Grubb (10/11/1902 – 05/27/1963), was a prominent doctor and pharmaceutical wholesaler; and her mother, Minnie Mae Conn Grubb (08/06/1902 – 10/29/1989), was a stay-at-home mother. “Our wedding at Church Street United Methodist Church was something of a social event,” Kessel said. “It was raining during the wedding and later turned to snow. We were married on Saturday night, and I had to be back at work on Tuesday.” The Kessels lived on Kelly Place about five months. One day Gloria’s father called Kessel and his brother-in-law, Ralph Dunn, to his office and told them he had bought two houses in Holston Hills from Carl Fielden (furniture dealer). He made the down payment on the two houses, and they were to continue making payments of $116 a month. (Kessel was making $250 a month.) “I mentioned my situation and he said, ‘We won’t worry about that’ and he never did,” Kessel said. “At least once a week, Dr. Grubb would go to the A & P grocery store on Magnolia Avenue (a building he owned) and bring us a load of groceries and he helped in many other ways,” he added. The Kessels lived in Holston Hills 25 years. They had three children. The first one, Carol, only lived three days. Edgar Dwight was born in 1953, and Karen Lynn was born in 1954. This year, on March 10, 2021, Dwight and Gloria Kessel will celebrate 70 years of marriage!
Words of Faith: For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. James 3:16 (KJV)