Close Knit

Being a ‘Submarine Sailor’s’ wife means a lot of long lonely days and nights while they are at sea, but just as the sailors are a close knit group, so do the wives become close knit and look out for each other while the guys are at sea.

Another of the Boat Mama’s was Edna Baessler. Chuck had been stationed with Doug on shore duty in St. Petersburg and when Doug had returned to sea duty it was aboard the Quillback.

They had seven children altogether, but at that time the sixth child Eileen was six months old. And their house was a hang-out too, for many of us!

I spent a lot of time at their big old Conch house on William Street, and became very attached to baby Eileen, and she was to me. She would cry to go home with me; she always called me Net-Net after she learned to talk.

All of the Baessler children were beautiful children, and some of them still keep in touch with me. And I still love to hear them tell their Mary Poppins stories about jumping out the second story window with an umbrella, and they really did do that! The Baessler Family became like my own Family.

Edna taught me many things. I learned a lot about cooking and shopping for a month's food supply from the Commissary from her, payday came only once a month.  She also taught me how to manicure my own nails with 'Sparkling Rose Mist' fingernail polish!

Another Boat Family dear to my heart was the Williams family, Willie and Edna and their two children David and Debbie. Debbie was a toddler when I met them, and David became my fishing buddy. 

Willie was the Chief cook (at the time 1^st. class Commissaryman) of the Boat, and kept the crew happy with great southern food!  He also taught me a lot about cooking.

It probably sounds as though I didn't know how to cook, but I did. My mother was one of the best southern country cooks in the world, and she taught all of her girls how to cook. But my cooking skills were broadened considerably by learning from others!

One other family that we were very close and dear friends with were the Elliott’s, Charley and Betty and their son Michael who was also a baby at the time, and Betty was the second Boat wife that I met.

After Chuck and I got married July 27, 1957 we came back to Key West, we got our same room at the El Parado Motel back, and were looking for an apartment or house to rent.

Chuck went out to sea for a few days. Betty and Charley lived around the corner from the Motel. She knew we were looking, and she put baby Michael in the stroller and walked around to the El Parado and knocked on my door. 

When I answered she introduced herself and let me know there was a cottage where they lived on Francis Street that had just become available.

I went with her and looked at it. I liked it and rented it on the spot. I went back to the Motel and checked out and moved our stuff in, left a message for Chuck to let him know where to find me when he came in. But as it turned out that was unnecessary. When the Boat came in one of the wives meeting the Boat told him where he lived now!

The cottage was in the back yard of the same piece of property that Betty and Charley rented and our landlady Mrs. Lafitte lived in front next door to them. The cottage was cozy and furnished; we really enjoyed living there, and we had a lot of fun while we were there.

We had eighteen days together before he had to go to sea for a long haul! The Boat was going on a North Atlantic run. At the time I had not become acquainted with very many people on the Boat, and so I went home to stay with my folks till he returned!