Dad and Mom spent about a year, year and a half of Dad's 20 years on the carnival route together. Mom passed in 1998 from brain cancer. Those that knew Dad would remember her as Susie, the fiery redhead that was out on the shows with him in about 1969.

I'll never forget the story of the night they met. Dad was doing his normal act, throwing knives and his sword swallowing act when he looked out over the crowd and noticed this redhead standing there in the funniest hat he had ever seen. He called her out of the crowd and she stood on the board and held her composure as Dad finished the act.

Two days later they were married in the town of Deep Creek Maryland.  Nine months to the day later, I was born.