The Geologist and the Undertaker's Daughter

Not a real novel, I created this fake book cover...

The names in this story have been changed to protect patient confidentiality and keep the HIPPA people happy. Ian Higglesford, a 91 yr old retired civil engineer from Ontario is one of our more delightful patients. His long life and colorful friends have blessed him with many memories and I am fortunate that he shares some of them with me. Mr. H came down from Canada this morning and asked about Erik, as he usually does because he is a fellow engineer. I told him Erik had graduated from Michigan Tech last year and got a job right in Houghton. This reminded Mr. H. of a childhood friend of his who graduated from Tech in Geology and stayed in Houghton to work. Eventually, the friend met and married the Houghton Undertaker's daughter. I commented on the story's likeness to a tawdry romance novel and he said, "Ohhhh, but there's more!" The Geologist and the undertaker's daughter moved to Uganda for a while on business where the wife left the Geologist for an Englishman. The Englishman and the undertaker's daughter ended up being deported back to Canada for such immoral behavior. Undaunted, the Geologist married a Ugandan woman, beautiful and black as the night. He then married a second Ugandan woman, as was allowed by local laws. When he returned to Canada he took his first Ugandan Wife, who then became a Canadian citizen. No sooner did she earn her citizenship and she took off with another Canadian fellow. Undaunted, well, maybe a little daunted this time, he sent for his second wife. The second Ugandan Wife too, earned Canadian citizenship and left the Geologist for another man. All these many years later the Geologist still resides in Sault Ste. Marie, retired and unmarried. The Engineer and the Geologist are still good friends.