Gettysburg Times (Reporters Notebook - 03/01/08): "Uncle Clarence and Flipper"

My mother’s parents — Grandma and Pappy Mentzer — recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, and naturally, we threw a big party.
As I mingled that weekend afternoon with relatives that I hadn’t seen in years, I learned a fascinating tale about my great Uncle "Stan" (not to be confused with Uncle Stan, my mom’s brother who routinely appears in this column) and my great Aunt Dot.
You see, great Uncle "Stan" served in the Armed Forces during World War II. And he met great Aunt Dot, from what I hear, at a military dance.
Apparently, it was love at first sight.
When they first exchanged names, he told her that his name was “Stan.”
His real name is Clarence. She didn’t learn his real name for several months.
It didn’t matter anyway, because “Stan” had already reeled her in.
“Stan” was a nickname that Clarence apparently came up with on the spot, and the family has called him “Stan” ever since.
Now I know where I get my wild imagination.
On the first day of fifth grade, I told my class that I wanted to be called “Flipper.”
The nickname didn’t last long.
— Scot “Flipper” Pitzer