My Parents....A 70 Year Love Story

A couple of Sundays ago, we held a party for my parents who recently celebrated 70 years of marriage.  SEVENTY years....let that sink in for a minute.  Here's their story.  Enjoy!

Seventy years ago, two “kids” fell in love and were married, after meeting at an after church gathering.  As the story of the wedding day goes, the Preacher had to be called in from the field where he had been working, to perform the ceremony.  Now some of us wouldn’t want the one officiating at our wedding to be wearing his dirty overalls while marrying us.  But these two crazy 18 year olds didn’t mind.  They were in love and that’s all that mattered!

I’m sure they had their dreams, their visions of what their life would be like.  I’m also sure they differed greatly from what brides and grooms of today might be dreaming of.  The world 70 years ago was a vastly different place.  It was the era of the Cold War.  Truman was President, a new car was about $1300, and it cost 3 cents to mail a letter.  Other notable things that happened that year are as follows:

·       Meet the Press aired for the first time

·       Smoke, Smoke, Smoke that Cigarette by Tex Williams was the #1 song in the country

·       Roswell, NM was the sight of a supposed UFO

·       The CIA was formed 2 weeks after the Roswell “incident” (Coincidence?  I think not!)

·       The Igloo portable cooler was introduced

§  Gas was 14 cents per gallon

So, as you can see, times were a bit different!  But for this young couple, they had the world by the tail, and set up housekeeping in Street, in a small house with no running water or electric.

In 1951, Tommy received the dreaded “Greetings” letter from the US government, advising him that he had been drafted into the Marines.  Meanwhile, they were expecting their first child.

So off Tommy went to become the proud Marine that he still is today!  On one of his R&R trips home, a piece of land was purchased, and the building of the couple's own home began.

Shirley made her appearance in June of 1952 with Tommy trying desperately to get home for her birth.  As I’ve been told, when he got word, he was in OpaLocka, FL, and got on a Baltimore bound plane.  However, the plane had to make a very hard emergency landing in Cherry Point, NC, having no brakes, and ended up in a swamp.  Next, he managed a military hop into Anacostia Navy Base in DC.  From there, a marine taxi got him the rest of the way into Baltimore, to the hospital.  When he finally made it there, Shirley had already been born.  Given the hour he arrived, the nurses were not happy to see him.  Times were different then, and one did not just “show up” after visiting hours.  However, the Doctor, knowing the story, allowed him in to see his wife and newborn baby girl.  All was right with the world now!

Tommy was honorably discharged from the Marines in 1953.  Linda made her appearance in 1957, and Jeffrey came along in 1961.  Then time flew.  Raising 3 children, owning a business and being a school bus contractor, this happy couple worked hard, enjoyed camping, taking family vacations with their children, and eventually welcomed spouses of their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.  Along the way, they welcomed nephew Michael to the crew after his father, Elevrie’s brother Billie Joe passed away.  Michael attended military boarding school, but spent his non-school time with the family, becoming a definite member of this little family!  Life was good…no, life was great!

Today, this loving, wonderful couple enjoys time spent with their children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and yes, even great-great grandchildren!