59 Years

Judy and I have been married 59 years on August 16th. We met at Oklahoma Baptist University. I was one year ahead of her. She came to OBU to study Business and Religious Education. She had in mind that she might become a Church Religious Educator and Administrator. She also was musically talented with voice and piano. I came to study Psychology and Philosophy. We met during TWIRP week. TWIRP stood for “the woman is requested to pay.” TWIRP weeks was an annual week at OBU. She asked me to go to the movies with her. We saw Gone With The Wind at the Hornbeck theatre in Shawnee, Oklahoma. We were ‘smitten’ with each other. We later confessed that we had been watching each other for awhile. Our family backgrounds were alike, and our future goals were similar. Our values, attitudes, behaviors, expectations were almost identical. We were the oldest of siblings and, therefore, very responsible for ourselves. We were both diligent students. We were both elected as officers in the Baptist Student Union by the OBU student body. We were both interested in missions. Judy did a summer with the Home Mission Board on the Papago Indian reservation in Arizona. In August, Judy and I went to Glorieta Baptist Assemble grounds in New Mexico for Student week. During that week, we drove to the Pecos Monastery where we were engaged. We were married on August 16, 1963. It has been such a wonderful relationship that we were meant for each other. It continues to be a wonderful journey together. Thanks be to God.