A Romantic Beginning

Published 03/27/2012

Jennifer and Fred Trayers had a cute story of how they first met. In February 1991, Jennifer was working as a travel agent at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana when Fred -- an avid outdoorsman from Peabody, Massachusetts, now a student at Notre Dame -- came in to book a trip to Glacier. Fred was smitten with Jennifer and started making frequent trips to the office to ask her out. "I thought he was a geek," Jennifer has said. But Fred's persistence paid off -- "I said if you stop coming around to my work, I'll go on a date with you," Jennifer recalled.

The two soon became a couple and grew closer, even as Fred -- who had joined the military before dating Jennifer -- began Navy flight school in Pensacola, Florida. Fred learned he would be stationed in San Diego, and the couple decided to marry before he moved. So in December 1992, they met up in Denver, Colorado and eloped. In November 1993, Fred and Jennifer Trayers renewed their vows in South Bend to celebrate their marriage with friends and family.

Jennifer happily assumed the role of military wife, moving often as the Navy transferred her husband. Jennifer loved traveling and enjoyed her time with Fred. One day they hoped to start a family, but kept putting it off for "when we move" or "at the next duty station." When Fred decided he wanted to become a doctor, they put their family plans on hold again while Fred attended medical school in Florida.