Kansas City & Unit 131 Bridge History
     
    Muriel Bridge
     
  >Back to Home Page
  >Back to Bridge History Home Page
     
There have been so many great, compassionate, knowledgeable, bridge directors over the years
but probably my favorite of all time was Muriel Hipsch. What a character.
Muriel Bridge was an institution as a bridge club owner and director.
Muriel Bridge
Circa 1960's, 1970's, 1980's
When I started playing in 1966 Muriel had already been directing for some number of years. Her games were Wednesday night, Friday
afternoon, and Saturday night. Her games were the biggest. The reason why is not hard to understand if you played in them. If you
were on her call list, then you got a call and were hounded by her until you capitulated. There was almost no excuse accepted for not
playing that she would accept short of being on an IV drip or on a ventilator.
Once I was at a staff meeting and the secretary was told that there were to be no interruptions. She called and told
the secretary that this call was an emergency !! She was put thru to the meeting and was unrelenting
until I agreed to play in all of her games. Wow ! What persistence and chutzpah !!


Muriel Hipsch
She was truly one of a kind


Awaiting a new picture
Awaiting a new picture

                 She was married to Carl and they were a good parternership even though
                 she told me frequently that he was stubborn as a mule and as hard
                 headed as a rock. Her sister was Lina. She and husband Manual Lessner
                 were staples at table two. Nobody was ruder than Lina but was she ever
                 a star at putting up the scores on the blackboard and getting
                 everything to balance on the first try. I quite often thought about
                 how was it possible for Lina and Muriel to be sisters or for that
                 matter for Lina to be married to Manuel who was truly a gentle soul !!
                 When Muriel called and you wanted to chat about anything on earth,
                 even though she had many more calls to make, she never disappointed.
                 There was an incident at her game that nearly drove me from the game.
                 A doctor and his wife were in 3 diamonds down one. They entered on the
                 traveler 2 diamonds doubled and redoubled making two.!!!
                 Muriel would not change it because he was a doctor and therefore
                 ethical and also he was a regular customer and I was not. Outrageous !
                 We talked for a long time about it and she would never relent. Talk
                 about hard headed !! To this day, I miss her.
                 There will never again be one like her to pass this way.

What shall we put here

Awaiting new picture


 
          

                   

Enjoy KC Bridge History