57 years

Judy and I celebrated our 57th wedding anniversary. There has been a mutual “your people shall be my people” spirit. Judy was my brother’s primary care-giver when he lived with us. If asked, and he frequently was by folks in the Church who already knew his answer, “Who do you like best?” His reply was always, “My sister-in-law” (answered with a big smile). We met at Oklahoma Baptist University. Judy invited me on our first date as it was TWIRP week at OBU (the woman is requested to pay). We were married in Eufaula, Oklahoma by her uncle. On the day of our wedding, I worked at Mom and Dad’s furniture store in Norman, Oklahoma which didn’t please Judy as I barely made it to the Church on time. Our first apartment was above a garage and in front of a goat herd in Shawnee, Oklahoma (OBU days). We’ve lived in an apartment at the Seminary Village as I was in school at Southern Seminary and Judy was Dr. Wayne Oates’ secretary. We lived in a duplex in Lexington, Kentucky, when our son was born and Judy was a stay-at-home mother. We lived in eastern Kentucky in a residential treatment facility for delinquent male adolescents where I was the Superintendent and our young son seemed to have 45 “big brothers.” We’ve live in our present home for 47 years. Judy was the Administrative Assistant to the President of Central Baptist Hospital and I was a Pastor of Lexington’s Trinity Baptist Church and, later, Director of the Interfaith Counseling Center. We’ve done Marriage Enrichment Retreats. We were given recognition for 25 years as Member Care Ministers with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. We’ve traveled often to the Middle-East; Africa; Central America and Europe. We’ve had, and are still having, an exciting life together.