"One day I was supposed to meet two friends of mine from college at Katz Drug Store on Main and 39th Street. Well, I stood over by the popcorn stand and I waited and waited, and they didn't show up, and then I looked over and there was Al Stepp. He looked over and said, 'What are you doing standing there by the popcorn stand? Come sit down have a cup of coffee.'

It was obvious these gals weren't going to come, so I did.

Then he said we should go have lunch, so we took a bus downtown and we ended up eating at another Katz Drug Store. I remember we sat at the counter and had chocolate sodas. Then we window-shopped, taking it easy around Kansas City downtown.

When we were ready to go, we were walking toward the bus stop at the Muehlbach to catch a cab, and he said, 'You know, someday we're going to have the cutest grandkids!'"—Barbara Stepp, Prairie Village

Barbara Stepp