Ronald Schaeffer

Icon of the Heart: a True Love Story Ronald Schaeffer

This story is about a young boy Ron Schaeffer, and a young girl, Jean Soric, who fall in love and then face an uncertain future as Jean finds herself pregnant at thirteen. They embark on an endeavor to get married only to find Jean's mother, an overbearing woman, refuses to permit it. Ruth, Jean's mother, eventually is forced to allow their marriage but then works diligently to break it up. The story tells or their struggles as they work to make a go of their marriage enduring trials of infidelity, deceit, menial economic means, and numerous setbacks. Finally, after seventeen years they divorce only to find they still love one another. Shortly after they divorce Jean develops cancer of the lymph glands, a devastating, debilitating disease, but their love even transcends this malady and they, after getting back together, remain lovers until Jean's death in 1984.