— My courtship with and marriage to Susan Rudd — October 1980 to June 1981 —
Thoughts from my journal as I met, began to date, and eventually married Susan Rudd: October 1980 – “We had a real cute girl move into our ward this week named Susie Rudd. She immediately caught my eye in fellowshipping meeting. She is really classy and sweet besides being so attractive. Since ‘he who hesitates is lost’, I asked her if she would like to go to a LeGrand Richards fireside that same evening and she accepted! As I went to pick her up that night, lo and behold, her entire extended family was there and her father made me shake hands with every single person. Susan was embarrassed for me, but they were all great people. We had a great date and I really enjoyed her company. Her father was a regional representative over Georgia while Russell and Joyce were presiding over the mission there, and Susie knows Russell and his family very well. Susie’s father served his mission in New Zealand and was mission president in Wellington. I am hoping that this is the beginning of a great relationship.” October 1980 – “I went out with Susie again Friday. We went to a Stake Halloween dance and then came up to my apartment for treats. We also went over to the gross anatomy lab and looked at the cadavers. We had fun! I really enjoy being with Susie. Here’s hoping!” November 1980 – “Sunday was eventful. As a matter of fact, this has been one of the most momentous weeks of my life. Sunday night I went out with Susie to a Stephen Covey fireside. We had a great time and I enjoy Susie SO much. She is without question the cutest and sweetest girl I’ve ever dated. I love being with her so much. I love to look at her face! She has extremely beautiful eyebrows, eyes, lips and teeth. She is just a doll in every way.” November 1980 – “I watched the election results with Susie and her parents in which Ronald Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter. I really enjoyed myself. Susie’s parents are the greatest. Susie and I had another long talk about our relationship that night. Oh, what a night! I am falling head-over-heels for this gal.” November 1980 – “Saturday, Susie and I spent most of the day together. After I finished my hospital rounds, I picked her up and we went to the Utah-New Mexico game (she is a real Utah fan). She met Linda and Tim at half-time. We had a lot of fun together and talked about our futures (!). I think the world of this gal.” November 1980- “I spent most of Sunday with Susie Q. What an angel she is. I also saw her Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I love being with her. Friday we went through a temple session together. It was really special. The husband-wife covenants and commitments took on new meaning!” November 1980 – “On Sunday night I viewed slides of the Rudd family with Susie and some of her family. I saw a couple of slides of Susie in her birthday suit as a little girl. She about killed her dad when he put them on the screen. Linda and Tim told me over the phone that they both fell in love with Susie when they met her at the football game. Thursday night all of our family ate at the Heather in celebration of Dan’s birthday. Susie met Mom and Dan and Dayna. I could tell Mom liked Susie, and she confirmed that the next day on the phone. I am, needless to say, exceptionally excited about our relationship. I am deeply in love with this sweet gal. Saturday was a great day. Bill Hamilton, Julie Tennant, Susie, and I watched the BYU-Utah game in our apartment. BYU won 56 to 6!! Yeah!! Julie and Susie made red sandwiches for themselves and blue ones for Bill and me. They had red drinks, we had blue. It was a fun afternoon. Susie and I spent the evening getting to know each other better!!!” November 1980 – “Thursday was Thanksgiving day. Susie and I ate dinner with the Rudd family and had a great time. I got to meet more members of her family. Each couple at the table had to tell how they first met and all about their dating. It was very funny. Later in the evening Susie and I drove to Highland and spent the evening with my family. It was very pleasant. We slept at Mom’s and spent all day Friday in Utah County with Mom, shopping and eating. Susie and I get along so well. My family really likes her, as do I. I really feel that I can be myself around her, and I love being with her. Her mannerisms are so pleasant and amiable. Unbeknownst to anyone but Susie and me, we have begun making preliminary arrangements for an engagement and marriage in June. I am indescribably excited.”
I received the following letter from my mom shortly after Susan and I had spent a weekend with her. “My dearest son, Michael: I am still in a dream world of my own because of the joy you and Susan brought to me over the past two days. You are both such a joy to be around and I have never felt so at ease around a girl friend of yours — NEVER! I think she is just a doll, so sweet and fun-loving and yet I saw a serious side of her nature, too. I have a few thoughts concerning love I want to tell you about. She is a tease and so are you, but be sure you tease only in fun and let her know it. Don’t let the fun teasing indicate that you have any doubts about her liking you or that she would rather be with someone else. She really does have a case on you, Michael, and I think it is so neat! Be very positive in your relationship. Don’t throw any doubt into her chances of dating you. She is the cutest gal you have ever dated. Don’t bring up anything to down play your own self worth. You are so darn sweet and neat. You are tops — you are held in high esteem by the Taylors and the Joneses and they all think that some day you will find a choice girl and you will have it made. You’ve been slow to marry, but so what? Michael, I had some time to spend with Susie alone and she thinks you are so special. Don’t throw her into the arms of some other fellow in your ward by telling her how badly other fellows want to date her. Right now you are her one and only and she surely shows it. What a doll. Let your relationship unfold naturally and normally. I’ve never met such a sweet girl — I am in love with her already and you are so darling together. She is so petite and trim and looks so cute in her clothes. If other fellows in your ward want to date her, that is only natural, but just let her know they will not be able to cut in on you. Keep this attitude, Michael –‘You’re mine, baby, and there ain’t nobody goin’ to take you away from me, you hear?’ I’ll be her parents think you are the finest fellow she has ever dated — because you are. I’m surely anxious to meet her parents. Oh, I think of how much Dean would have loved Susan. He would have flipped over her — what a doll! BE POSITIVE. Negative thoughts are for the birds. Well, honey, you can frame this letter if you want to. I send it because I love you so darned much. I thank the Lord for giving you to me. Love, your Mom.”
January 1981 – “Saturday morning at 6 am I got a call from the ‘Utahna Breakfast-In-Bed Service’ and 2 minutes later Susie and Julie were in our apartment to fix Bill and me breakfast. They were dressed in cheerleader outfits and the entire breakfast was RED. They said they were sent to convert us to Ute-ism and sway us from Cougar-ism. It was really clever and fun. They are both such sweet girls. That evening we all watched the BYU-Utah basket ball game, and much to my chagrin, the final score was Utah 60 BYU 56. I love Susie Rudd.” February 1981 – “Friday Susie and I went to the ward dance that Susie was in charge of, The Cat’s Pajamas. It was very enjoyable. We dressed up as teenie-boppers. Susie and I studied together on Saturday. We are getting along very well. I love her very much. We are talking about June 4 as a possible marriage date. She certainly has made life wonderful and meaningful for me.” March 1981 – “March has been an exciting month for Susie and me; my love and respect for her grows every day. We went and chose our rings early in the month and we are really happy about them. We went through a temple session in the middle and I officially asked her to marry me. Fortunately, she said yes. Susie helped me get moved into our new apartment, 1015 Medical Plaza North. I am really happy with my new little apartment. I am happy to be away from the chaos of 1312 Medical Plaza North. Susie and I are looking forward to getting engaged on her birthday, March 30th. Susie has really brought joy and happiness into my life, and she adds the needed dimension I have so long lacked. I love her family too. Her parents are the greatest.” “On Susie’s birthday, I went down and talked to Brother Rudd about marrying Susie. We had a great talk and he gave me a hard time. He counseled me to be generous with my money, to be careful not to put occupation before family. That night I gave Susie her diamond and we were all excited, especially Marva and Glenda. It was a great occasion.” April 1981 – “On Thursday night Susie and I went to Log Haven for the Admissions Committee Appreciation banquet. It was fun and hilarious. Arthur Traub and Paul Wender were the supreme buffoons. They both were sufficiently inebriated to feel totally uninhibited and acted accordingly. Everyone was impressed with my cute gal, Susie. I am so proud to take her places with me. Friday it was off to St. George with Susie, Mom and my three sisters. We had an absolute riot. We stayed with Aunt Dorothy and spent most of our time eating. We saw Lynn, Conda, Von, Ronella, Debbie, and Mike. We also shopped, ate, saw Brigham Young’s home, ate, shopped some more, ate, etc. We were laughing from the minute we left till the minute we returned. Aunt Dorothy fell in love with Susie and she gave us an antique China plate (Dresden) that had belonged to her great grandmother. Thursday, Susie and I worked on our wedding guest lists. All together we are going to send out 700 invitations. We spent the evening Friday with Charlie and Annette and really had a good time. Saturday we had a big party at Dee’s where the Taylors and Rudds met. Everyone came except Lou and Tim and Barbara and Clark. We had a great time, played some games, visited, and I think a good time was had by all. Things are going so well for us and we both wish that June 4th would arrive rapidly.” May 1981 – “We have finalized all our preparations for our wedding! All is in readiness for the greatest day of my life, and hopefully in Susan’s as well. I feel so blessed and fortunate that I met Susie, and I look forward to sharing my life with her.” “Sunday we got our temple marriage recommends. Bishop Coles and President Gilbert Scharffs gave us some great counsel, as follows: 1) Take time often to schedule and coordinate together 2) Keep your romance alive, go on a date every week, send love notes, etc. 3) Keep pace with each other spiritually 4) Pray together 5) You will need a deep rudder to weather storms 6) Two people can’t get closer to each other without getting closer to God 7) The three most important ingredients are unselfishness, keeping the commandments, and determination 8) There is no such thing as love at first sight, and there shouldn’t be any hate at first fight 10) Give each other your total attention when the husband comes home from work 11) Temple marriage does not guarantee a successful marriage 12) When you are married, you will be the newest family unit in eternity. I am bubbling with excitement and enthusiasm for our upcoming marriage. I love my dear Susie so very much. She is an angel. Susie had a grocery shower this week and we received LOTS of groceries.” June 1981 – “These last few weeks have certainly been momentous week in my life. On the 31st of May, Susan, Bill Hamilton, and I spoke in Sacrament meeting and bid adieu to the 14th Ward. The meeting went real well. That evening Dr. Rasmussen had us up to his home to talk with us about the physical aspects of marriage. Some of his counsel was 1) males and females look at sex differently, the male view it as a time of physical gratification, the females as a time of closeness 2) we need to be sensitive to each others moods, especially after a long day 3) DON’T use sex to manipulate your partner 4) talk about things you like and dislike in sex 5) don’t tell friends or family about each others sexual performance.
On the evening of the 3rd Jeff Swenson and John Corey gave a bachelors’ party for me and it was really fun. They made a “honeymoon survival kit” for me and we talked for several hours about marriage and the good old days when we were roommates. The 4th of June was our wedding day and it was a perfect day. The weather was beautiful and so was Susie. Our ceremony was a grand one and President Davey gave us much excellent counsel. I felt my love and appreciation strongly for Susie as I said “I do” (although in the temple we say “Yes”). Our wedding breakfast at the Lion House was nice with Aunt Inez playing some numbers on the piano. I was too excited to eat much. Our afternoon consisted of some pre-honeymoon activities which were marvelous, and our reception that evening was great. No one decorated our car because we hid it well. We spent three days at Snowbird on a most pleasant honeymoon, with a relaxing and stimulating time had by all. We spent the 10th through the 12th at Lake Powell with most of the Rudd family and had a great time. Some of the highlights of the Powell trip were 1) spending the first night in a rock oven 2) water skiing 3) cliff diving 4) watching Glenda and Steve’s shenanigans 5) changing campsites several times 6) climbing a mountain with Charlie and Jonathan 7) getting to know my in-laws better 8) losing my car keys and having to come home in Dad Rudd’s car and returning all the way back to Lake Powell with my other set of car keys 9) car trouble on the way home. On the 13th of June, 98 classmates and myself received our Medical Doctorate degrees. It was a day full of pomp and ceremony and rejoicing. That night we all went out to Lou and Tim’s and opened about 120 wedding gifts. It was a lot of fun.” June 1981 – “I love my sweet little wife and her pleasant disposition. I enjoy her company so much and I desire to make her very happy. She is so good to me. The future looks so bright, yet ahead of me looms a monstrous leviathan called INTERNSHIP. Gird up your loins, Taylor.”
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