A lovesick teenager gets the girl—40 years later.
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RD.COM True Stories Love Stories
Emily GoodmanUpdated: Jan. 28, 2021
A lovesick teenager gets the girl—40 years later.
COURTESY ZIMMERMANN FAMILYGeorgene Zimmermann, née Huber, in 1965
One early January day in 1999, 51-year-old Georgene Martin, née Huber, received a delivery of red roses. Her husband had recently passed away, so the flowers didn’t seem completely out of the blue. But the name on the note that came with them did. The last place she had seen that name, Jerry Zimmermann, was in her high school yearbook—from 1965.
“Dear Georgene,” Jerry’s card read, “I was a classmate of yours, though I don’t believe you knew who I was. I was painfully shy, and you were the prettiest girl I had ever seen.”
It was true that Georgene hardly remembered Jerry. Nearly four decades had passed since their paths first crossed in the hallways of Farnsworth Junior High School in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, where she still lived.
“Though I now live in DC, I keep close ties to Sheboygan,” Jerry continued. “I return several times a year. And now to the crux of this letter—I will be visiting the weekend of May 15th, and I’m wondering if we could meet for a coffee? I am, however, sensitive to the recent loss of your husband. If this approach comes too soon, I will understand—and wait another 40 years.”
Why not? Georgene thought to herself as she put down the letter. She was certainly curious to see what Jerry looked like after so many years. If nothing else, it would be nice just to chat with him. She wrote back and agreed to meet with him that spring.
In Washington, DC, Jerry anxiously checked his mailbox each day. When Georgene’s reply came, he was elated. She finally said yes! Georgene didn’t know it, but she had broken Jerry’s heart all those years ago.
Jerry’s interest in Georgene Huber began when he noticed her in the ninth grade. Her sparkling eyes gave him a euphoric jolt whenever they glanced, albeit fleetingly, at him. Jerry’s shyness prevented him from saying a single word to her until their junior year in high school.
COURTESY ZIMMERMANN FAMILYJerry’s handwritten note that started it all
A newly minted driver, Jerry was on his way to school one morning when he spotted Georgene walking with a friend. Before he could talk himself out of it, he pulled over and asked the girls whether they wanted a ride. They did.
The friends climbed into the front seat, with Georgene sitting next to Jerry. The beautiful girl he had been pining for was sitting just inches away, and it petrified him. Unable to think of anything to say to break the ice, Jerry didn’t even introduce himself. Once at school, his passengers thanked him and went on their way.
Jerry spent all day mulling over his next move. His plan was simple: After school, he would drive around until he saw Georgene walking home. Then, just as he had done that morning, he would offer her a ride. She would accept, sit next to him again, and that would be that, he thought. Happily ever after.
When the last bell rang, Jerry raced to the parking lot and started driving around the school. He soon found Georgene walking with the same girl from that morning. Jerry pulled over and rolled the window down.
