"I was single for five years," said Marlene.  "I was busy being home raising the children and I worked part time, when the children were in school, at Westdale Florist where I learned floral design."
"And then someone encouraged me to go to a club," continued the lady with the pretty hair.  "It was a get-together for singles, by invitation only.  It was the first singles thing I went to.  I thought the most important thing was to stay home with my kids, which I did for five years, but I went to the club ...
"And I looked around and the only one who attracted me was David from across the room, this tall, dark, handsome man.  We danced a couple times, then sat down to eat together ....
"We sat with another couple that was also getting acquainted, and the lady had had several husbands that all died mysteriously, so I decided to top her and I said I was a lady of the evening.  I said the hours were good and I could be home during the day with my kids."
Despite this outrageous story, or per-haps because of the spunk and straight face displayed in the telling of it, Dave asked Marlene for her phone number and the two started dating. 
What did Marlene come to like about Mr. Speltz?  "He was kind and generous and thoughtful," she replied, "but I was still very scared to think about getting married again.  Then I decided if someone wanted to marry me with four children, they either loved me or were crazy.  I opted to think he loved me."
What did Dave come to like about Marlene?  "I had never communicated as well as I did with Marlene," he replied.  "She listened.  She took a great interest in me."  And then, as he looked at his wife across the kitchen table, he added, "Her hair was so beautiful, so dark and natural, so shining.  It is still beautiful."
Marlene wiped her eyes and remained silent.  Dave continued, "We were out at the Minnetonka Mist.  We were on a sail-boat on Lake Minnetonka and stopped there for a gin and tonic.  That's when I popped the question."
"It was in a roundabout way and I was kind of scared," said Marlene, "so I didn't give an answer.  He asked me again at a place in Minneapolis where the Golden Strings were playing ...
"Then he came over for dinner and we said, 'Boys, we have something to tell you.  We're going to be married!'  And one of the kids said, 'Do we have to move?' and we said, 'No,' and they all got up and walked to the living room to watch television.  That's all there was to it."
They were married on November 25^th, a snowy day in 1977.  The honeymoon coincided perfectly with Dave's business trip to Mexico City and the Princess Hotel in Acapulco.

As promised, the boys did not have to move.  The family remained living in Minnetonka, where Dave and Marlene began to exhibit an entrepreneurial spirit in other ways.  With "little or nothing," they started their own business on April 15^th, 1978.  It was called American Pressure, Incorporated.
"Dave wanted to sell pressure washers, steam cleaners, and sand blasters because he thought there was a market for them," said Marlene.  "We went to St. Thomas College for a business plan and those students were excellent.  They were runners up in the nation with their business plan for us.  Syl Jones of the Star Tribune called us and came out to take photos and do a story.  The publicity helped lead to our success."
Continued Marlene, "We had taken no salary for five years.  I admire David for trying so hard to get the company off the ground.  It grew, and his perseverance was a big part of it.   I was working for General Mills at the time."
Said Dave, "We sold pressure washer equipment to everyone from ma and pa companies to airlines and state highway departments.  We concentrated our sales in the construction and industrial market.  Our success was due, to a large extent, to our service technicians who repaired on location.  After five years, Marlene left General Mills to manage the office."
In 1997 the Spletzes sold the company, which then had eight employees and was one of the biggest pressure washer companies in Minneapolis."  They business is still going strong at the same address in Wayzata.
By that time David and Marlene had already found Lake Bavaria and Victoria. 
"We used to drive out for rides," she said.  "We always wanted to be on a lake and we discovered Lake Bavaria on one of those rides.  At first we thought this area was too far out, but we made a long list of everything we wanted, including a lake and pine trees, and then there was a For Sale sign on this house.  We walked through it and decided we could afford it so we put in an offer and bought it in 1993.  The only things it had on the list were the lake and pine trees."
Said David, "This is a most fantastic neighborhood."  Said Marlene, "This is a most Christian neighborhood."

The Speltzes had barely made their entrance into the Lake Bavaria neighbor-hood when they made their grand entry into the City of Victoria.  In no time at all Marlene became president of the Victoria Chamber of Commerce, the first female president in the history of the nearly century-old organization.  Marlene served three years in that capacity.
"We joined to meet people and it sure worked!" she stated with a laugh.  "The people in the Chamber are so great, but I didn't even know what a Chamber was.  I jumped first and swam later.  I went to a library to find out what a Chamber was." 
Earlier this year, 2001, Marlene was unanimously voted to become the first Administrator of the Victoria Chamber of Commerce.  Husband David is always assisting at her side, especially as they work with major Chamber events such as the annual and upcoming Touch of Bavaria on Saturday, September 22^nd, at Lions Park in Victoria.
Marlene is also a Master Gardener, which entails monthly meetings, many hours of work and continuing education.  "I love to be outdoors," she said.  "Remember, I was my father's boy."  Click here to continue.