This is the story of my marriage in the late 1950's through the early 1970's, including 3 children and many other life adventures, including life in the military in Germany at the time the Berlin wall was built and the Cold War began.

!Marriage with Children!

On October 29, 1958 I married Bill Shauck, a career Air Force officer, and thus began new facet of life - motherhood and world travels. A year and a half later I was on the way to meet Bill in Germany with my five month old daughter Stephanie. We were stationed in Germany for four years in the 1960's, and we took every opportunity to learn the language, to make friends with German nationals, and to travel around Europe. We attended the Passion Play in Oberammergau, and I thought I was in fairytale land. I just loved it. Meanwhile, I became organist in a German church and the American military chapels, taught music appreciation for adults, and taught music in army and air force schools. Soon, shortly after the birth of my son Billy in Wiesbaden in 1962, I attended the University of Heidelberg, improving my German in the Dolmetscher Institute and attending the EvangelischKirchenmusikalisches Institut Heidelbergs, where I studied organ and choir directing. At the same time my husband graduated from the University of Maryland, and the ceremony was held in the Neue Aula of the University of Heidelberg, where I was a student. We returned to the states just in time for the birth of my third child, Martha Jo, in Dallas. Three weeks later Kennedy was assassinated downtown near the Texas School Book Depository Building. I kept up with my German friends by letter. I always planned to return there some day. I finally returned there in 1977, and went back to stay in 1979.

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Churches and Studios

Soon after returning to the States from Germany (in spring 1964) I opened a music studio in Dallas, played organ in several large churches, and was a minister of music, mostly in Episcopal or Lutheran (sometimes Catholic) churches. Several years were very happy, with a flourishing career and happy family. I was very active in the American Guild of Organists and the National Guild of Piano Teachers at that time, and became a travelling judge for auditions by the piano guild. I also taught classroom music and private piano at Ursuline Academy and the Dallas public schools.

But my main interest was my position as minister of music in several large churches. I was also involved in playing organ concerts and was often guest organist in large churches using the resources of the Dallas Symphony for major oratorios, cantatas, and special festivals. Many of the programs were broadcast on radio or television. These were all very happy and fulfilling years for me. I resumed working on my doctorate, first in musicology then in organ performance. Bill finished a Masters degree in linguistics, began teaching at a small university in Plano, and then started on his PhD in linguistics at NTSU, now named the University of North Texas.

Question: How do you win any oral argument with a person with graduate degrees in linguistics? ;-)

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