A Chereck Reunion?

I woke up bright and early, not by choice, but everyone that I shared the room with had decided to get up and make noise. I sprung from my bed and packed my stuff together. I said a few things to the friends I maid the night before, and we all parted with goodbyes. I was half-tempted to stay another night, but I wanted to make it to Portland. In hindsight I should have stayed because Eugene is a kick ass little city. It had the quaint cozy feel, but not in a small way.

Before I left there was one thing I had been planning on doing for a very long time now, meeting a long lost Chereck! I always tell everyone if you ever meet another Chereck, chances are their related to me. Well this Chereck isn’t, as far as I can tell, so that’s what makes this experience so unique. He was the head registrar at the University of Oregon. My brother Andrew first informed of his existence a few years back when he wanted to go to CU. Do a quick google search of our last name, and he is the first to pop up.

I was a bit intimidated about just dropping in on the guy. I mean I had no idea how he would receive me, or if he would even be interested. I must have a compass in my head, because without consulting a map and only being given a general idea of where the college was, I managed to find the exact destination of the registrars’ office, without blinking!

The registrars’ office was on the second floor of the student billing office. When I approached the line where you sign in to meet with the registrar I didn’t know what to say, so I told the truth “ahhhh I need to meet Herb Chereck” to which the student assistant replied “um that’s not going to be possible, he’s the head registrar and he’s a busy guy, perhaps one of our other registrars could help you?”

“No…..you um I’m like a relative….well I’m not really a relative, well I could be, you see, I well, my names Francis Chereck and I’m from near Chicago, and like, well, I’m passing through on my way to Portland and I think I’m related to him but…….”  The student assistant cut me off before I could say another word “Oh your Family, let me call his secretary.” After a brief phone call he sent me around the corner where I was greeted by Mr. Chereck's (odd saying that) secretary who had me pause wile she checked inside to make sure it was alright for me to enter.

As she opened the door I could see the look on Mr. Chereck’s face that seemed a bit confused and surprised that his secretary had just whispered to him that he had family here to see him. I was then allowed to enter his office where he was sitting with another woman. I then asked him “Herb Chereck?” He just sat there staring up at me, “I’m Francis Chereck! I know this is a bit odd, but I was passing through town and I’ve never met another Chereck before that hasn’t been related to me!” He replied with “Well I’ve never met another Chereck before that hasn’t been related to me!”

I then asked him how he pronounced our last name, to which he said “They would have been doing us a favor if they had just added an S to it,” which meant he pronounced it Shereck. Not with the CHA how us Chicago Chereck’s say it.  We went back and forth over our name and gave a brief overview of our family’s histories. I learned that he had a daughter named Emily who goes…..dun dun dun to the same college my brother Andrew is currently attending. What a small world indeed. Two Chereck’s on separate paths unite at college of choice, coincidence or incidental? Well our meeting was short, but the novelty of it will last in my head for the rest of my time. Yeah remember that time I stalked down that Chereck in Oregon, yeah that was awesome. Well I didn’t explain it to Herb that way, but that’s how it kind of felt to him.