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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Three plates of spilled green jello spark a life together

Back in 1973, Gonzaga student William Wrigglesworth was smitten with Liz, the jello salad serving girl in the university’s Cog dining hall. They made a connection after he dropped three bowls of green gelatin salad on the floor to get her attention. It worked. They have been together ever since. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)
William and Liz Wrigglesworth

Liz and I have been married 43 years come this August.

I was returning to Spokane from a significant knee surgery while attending Arizona State. I enrolled at Gonzaga University to finish my schooling. I was in a bent cast and on crutches so I wasn’t exactly a dashing figure in the early spring of 1973.

I had noticed a beauty who worked at the “Cog” as the salad person at lunch. I had done a bit of research so I knew who she was; a San Francisco native from a large family.

I waited until most of the students had gone through the lunch line before I hobbled up to start the buffet with my yellow tray. First stop was the salad choices and I spotted a green gelatin salad and placed one on my tray. As I moved ahead I bumped the tray and the salad plate crashed to the floor and shattered. “She” quickly came around from behind the counter, ever so graciously cleaning up my mess as I apologized for my clumsy move. But I was getting no real “play.”

So, when she turned away toward the kitchen, I dropped a second green salad to the floor – same result. A not as gracious smile and annoyed look came my way as I again apologized for being a total pain. Again, no banter or chance for a real interaction.

So, once she again turned away with my second mess, a third jello salad hit the floor. A quick turn, a red somewhat angered face exclaimed “What the heck!” (Or something similar). I said, “Wanna grab a cup of coffee?”

She asked if I was serious, as in, “Are you serious??” And I answered that she had to be off duty soon and I’d happily wait.

A great chat over coffee ensued and a date for the following Friday night made for a memorable evening and the beginning of what became our life-long love affair.

We are grandparents now. We love our life together. We have two wonderful, married children and two beautiful granddaughters and two granddogs too. We rarely, if ever, have green jello salad, but the humor of our beginning story has been a big part of our life together. She’s a smart aleck, quick-witted, and a fun-loving wife, mom and grandma.

I’m thankful for the gift she is to our entire family and to me.

Happy Valentine’s Day!