Today I finally made my pilgrimage to the place where my mother attended college -- Denton, Texas. I managed to fit in a visit while working with my schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, about 45 minutes away. I made arrangements to meet my friend, Robin Lind, former teacher at Austin High, for dinner. She moved to Denton last summer in order to be closer to her ailing mother.
In preparation for my trip up there, I did a bit of research, confirming that my mother graduated high school in 1949, which meant she would have finished Texas Woman's University in 1953. Thank you, Google! I then looked up that class, and saw that they created a memory book (see above) that they published in 2003, in conjunction with the class's golden anniversary.
I called the alumni office in order to determine whether it was possible to buy the book or not, and they confirmed that I could, for the price of $18, which seemed fair. They confirmed that she had, in fact, graduated in 1953, with a degree in "Costume Design," something I had not been aware of. For some reason, however, she is listed as "lost" in the book (which also misspells her name as "Mary Runyun."
I went ahead and bought the book anyway, thinking I may be able to find a friend of hers -- a name I recognize, or perhaps someone in Texas or Arkansas I can contact to see if they remember my mom.
Walking around Denton with Robin, I tried to imagine my mother walking these very same streets, nearly 60 years ago. I plan to return, perhaps with my family, to walk the campus during the daytime, and try to bring my mother into focus for my wife and two sons, who, sadly, never had the chance to know her.
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