Since it’s Valentine’s Day, we asked you to tell us about the special moment when you knew you’d met your soulmate. Here is a collection of the fond memories some of you shared with us.
JANIS AND DAVE HUFF
A cake and a special car
My husband and I attended the same high school but never knew each other until after we graduated. I usually spent college weekends at home and enjoyed “hanging out” with friends at a nearby restaurant.
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryOn one particular visit I had baked a cake to celebrate a friend’s birthday. The same evening, a guy proudly drove in the parking lot with his brand new 1968 Torino. I really wanted a ride in his car, and he really wanted some birthday cake so…. In 1970, we drove away from the church in the same car. We still have our special car, and I still enjoy baking for him!
ALLEN AND LADONNA KINGEN
A fateful first day of school
In 1956, Eden and Maxwell schools consolidated. On the first day, all of the Eden kids sat on one side of the gym and the Maxwell kids on the other. The teachers talked to us about our new school called Hancock Central, but all I remember about that day is seeing the prettiest little black-haired girl sitting across from me on the Maxwell side.
Later, when I saw her up close, she wasn’t just pretty; she was beautiful. When I looked at her, it felt like my stomach and chest were full of huge butterflies. She didn’t notice me, and being a 13-year-old boy, I certainly couldn’t tell her.
Four years later, I finally got the nerve and opportunity to ask her for a date. We ended up that night with me showing her the gravel pit where I fished and hunted frogs. As a matter of fact, I told her all about how to gig frogs, and she seemed very interested.
Of course, a few years later, I realized she was not interested in frogs, gigs or gravel pits, but that night, I wasn’t really either.
That would have been in 1959, and we have been together since then. We were married on Feb. 18, 1962, so in a few days, we will celebrate our 57th wedding anniversary.
Along the way, we have had two wonderful daughters, two excellent sons-in-law and five unbelievable grandkids.
It wasn’t always easy. At times, it took every bit of patience and understanding that we both possessed. We sometimes laugh and tell people we stayed together so we wouldn’t mess up two other people. The truth is, there are times now when I just stop and look at her, and there are just as many of those butterflies as there were in that Maxwell gym 63 years ago.
RALPH AND OLLIE BLAND
Delivery route ended in bliss
My name is Ollie, and I met my sweetest valentine Ralph more than 40 years ago. I was almost 16, and he was 20. We lived in Blacksburg, Virginia, in Happy Hollow. Ralph worked at a cheese factory and delivered cheese to my grandpa. I would be sitting on a rock cliff as he walked back and forth to his home. One day, I said to myself, “I’m going to marry that young man.” He started coming by to talk to me. Our first date was at my parents’ three-room house. We played a card game – Rummy. After months of dating, we were married July 1, 1950. Since then, my sweetheart and I have aged gracefully with five children, two daughters-in-law, two sons-in-law, 10 grandkids and their spouses, 15 great-grandkids and five great-great-grandkids. This year, we will be married 69 wonderful years. My sweetheart still buys me beautiful cards and flowers. Back in the Happy Hollow years, he would pick me pretty flowers for Valentine’s Day. He helps now taking care of me during my health issues. He is my forever sweetheart.
STACY AND DANIEL BROWN
Her persistence paid off
Hi. My name is Stacy Brown. I met my husband when I was 16 and he was 18. We worked at Menard’s together. But we did not date then. A few years later, I was at college and we ran literally into each other. He gave me his business card lol.
I waited patiently for him to call, but two days later, no call. I called him, and a few days later we went on our first date. It was magical. We went out to eat, saw the movie “Serendipity” and then went to Dairy Queen and went for a walk around the lake. We both did not want night to end. We sealed it with our first kiss.
One week later, he told me loved me and we joke because I said, “How can you love me? You don’t know me.” Lol.
Now, it’s been almost 14 years in marriage and 17 years together. Guess it worked. He is the love of my life. I am so grateful for him and all that he does. He works hard for our family and keeps going. Nothing stops him. We all are grateful for him, and he is my soulmate and my best friend.
DAWN GILLIAM AND JASON TELLO
She liked the guy in the doorway
My name is Dawn, and my story started a little over 10 years ago.
My best friend from high school and my cousin were engaged to be married and asked me to be in the wedding. Which I replied yes! At a social gathering a few days prior to the wedding, I still didn’t know who was walking me down the aisle. I was told not to worry because he was supposed to be there. She later walked up beside me and pointed to this cute guy standing at the doorway. As she pointed at him, my jaw dropped, because I was going to ask her to introduce me to him. Recently out of a relationship, he and I dated a few times but had to stop because we weren’t ready to date. We went our separate ways and lost contact.
Three years later, after a divorce and with a beautiful 2-year-old, we bumped into each other at one of my family gatherings. From day one that I met him, he always said that he didn’t see himself settling down. I was in the same mindset. With me being ready to move on, he and I started to date. This same mindset of neither one of us wanting to settle down went well for what seemed a short period of time.
Fast-forward seven years to today. He and I are engaged and looking forward to settling down and being with each other for the rest of our lives. Jason is my best friend and soulmate. He is an amazing person and would do anything for me and our kiddos.
BILL AND LORRAINE EWING
A romantic night of playing ‘Twister’
We met at Mt Vernon High School. Bill had moved from Whiteland High School after the school year had started. Lorraine and her friend, Connie Thomas, were on the school bus ready to travel home for the day.
Connie saw Bill coming out of the school and told Lorraine to come to the window. “There is this funny, cute guy you need to meet,” she said. Connie introduced us and we shook hands, with Lorraine hanging out the bus window to reach Bill’s hand!
Our first date was awhile later. We planned a double date to go to a movie with Connie and her boyfriend. A winter snowfall changed their plans, and Lorraine’s parents asked them to stay at their house instead, so they played “Twister” and ate popcorn! The next morning, Bill drove his John Deere tractor from McCordsville to Mt. Comfort to plow the snow out of the family driveway. Lorraine wondered why anyone would drive that far on a tractor in freezing weather.
On our first single date, Bill told Lorraine that he was going to marry her! What? This guy is crazy!
He told her she was different from the other girls he met and he felt very comfortable with her. Lorraine never told anyone this information, as it seemed very far-fetched. How could anyone know so quickly that a person was the one?
Bill and Lorraine dated, became good friends, took a dating break, then got back together again.
Many people said, “You are too young; this will never last.” Well, 50 years later, college education, three boys, four grandkids, many fun times, surviving life’s challenges, retired from their full-time careers, we are still best friends and love each other unconditionally.
BRUCE AND JOYCE MITCHELL
A blind date that worked out
It began with a co-worker’s remark: “I’ll provide the ‘dollies’ if you’ll provide the wheels.” I was assigned to temporary duty at Selfridge AFB, Michigan, and had purchased a shiny black 1950 Studebaker Commander. With nothing else planned, a unit party scheduled, I commented: “Nothing ventured – nothing gained.” We drove an hour into Detroit, met the ladies, went to the party, and took the girls home. On the way back to the base I blurted out, “That’s the girl I’m going to marry.” Bill responded, “You’re drunk!” I said, “Maybe I am – but that’s what I’m going to do!” And I did.
We married three months later, after repeated round trips from Niagara Falls, New York, my new base assignment, to Detroit. In our first two years of marriage we traveled about 10,000 miles, all stateside, and had a six-month military separation. That’s how life went on for us the next six years, after which I took a job involving Navy and Marine assignments with more separations including the Cuban Blockade and Marine deployments. Leaving aerospace, I became a pastor serving churches in Missouri, Indiana, Florida, and Michigan. Retiring, I/we joined a travel company with assignments from Hawaii, Alaska, the Middle East, Europe, and South America.
All with a bride who had never been out of Detroit before we were married. A marriage with five great children. A wife who grew up in a family of 18 children. A wife who detests any story with the word “dolly.” A wife who sacrificed for me.
I remember her brilliant auburn hair, and she is still the “blind-date” I fell in love with 65 years ago. If you ask if I would do it again my response would be, “in a microsecond!”
BRIGETTE AND BRANDON JONES
School ties finally brought them together
My husband, Brandon, and I met at Eastern Hancock. I was in the class of 1985, and he was in the class of 1986. In my senior year, he and I occasionally ate lunch together. In fact, my lunch partners that year seemed to be several football players, but we were nothing more than friends. However, I did give him one of my senior pictures when he asked to see them.
Fast forward to fall 1990, I was just about ready to graduate from Ball State with my teaching degree. He was recently divorced and had moved back home. His brother, Jimmy, and my sister, Christa, were in the class of 1991. It was an EH football game where Jimmy was playing ball and Christa was cheerleading. I saw him standing along the fence, and went up to talk to him. He did ask me out, but I was busy. He will say I blew him off, but — in my defense — I gave him my number. He never called.
Jimmy and Christa’s graduation was on June 1, 1991. I saw Brandon again at graduation, and he asked me out that night. I had to go to Christa’s graduation party, so he picked me up there. Talk about pressure! Not only did he meet my parents, but he met my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and close family friends. Our first date was at the Super 8 Movie Theater in Indianapolis because that was the only thing open that late. We saw “Kindergarten Cop.”
This year, on Oct. 1, we will celebrate 25 years of marriage. While we weren’t technically high school sweethearts, Eastern Hancock brought us together. And yes, he still had my senior picture!
C.O. AND LARICE MONTGOMERY
A bag of ‘sliders’ and some romance
I met Larice in the early 1960s. We both went to a church of like faith. Hers was on the north side of Indianapolis. Mine was on the south side. I spotted her at about age 15½. It was love at first sight, at least for me. A buddy of mine and I double-dated. I told Bill that I wanted to date his date. He said go for it. We started dating, and in about six months she was hooked (my words, not hers). Larice lived on the east side. I lived on the south side. One night, we were sitting in front of her house. We had just left our favorite restaurant, White Castle. In those days that was about all I could afford. So we pulled into her driveway, a bag of “sliders” between us. I had romance on my mind, and in my eyes. I looked over at Larice and I asked. “Honey please tell me what you are thinking of right now?” In a flash her answer was: “I was thinking just how good those White Castles smell.” Well, I must have “warmed” her heart with those “sliders.” We were married at age 19 between my freshman and sophomore year at Ball State University. We love each other now more than we did almost fifty-five years ago. We have two fantastic grandsons. Oh yes, for our fiftieth wedding anniversary, one of the restaurants we went to that week was White Castle. The sliders tasted about the same.
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Find more stories and photos of romance and happenstance in a longer version of this story online at www.greenfieldreporter.com.
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