The year was 1955, the middle of May…the morning of our high school class trip. My best friend, Melba Ingram had her brother bring her to my grandma’s house. He had just come home from serving our country in the US army. My grandmother lived across the street from the school building and we were supposed to be on the school bus by 7:30 a.m.
That was the first time I had met Bobby, and it was only for a few seconds…long enough for Melba to introduce us and get her stuff out of the car. Melba’s birthday was later that week and Bobby told her that he would take her and a girlfriend to the movies for her birthday…if he could choose the girl friend. She said ok…and that was the beginning of our ‘friendship.’ That ‘movie night’ Bobby asked me for a ” real” date.
We were engaged three months later, on Bobby's birthday August 20, 1955... and in another three months we were married. This next November we will have been married 58 years! It seems like such a short time. I’d opt for 58 more if it were possible.
Another part of this saga. Exactly one year earlier, on the last day of school, one of Bobby’s friends that wrote to him while he was in the army had just gotten married and she brought his picture and gave it to back to his sister, Melba. Melba asked me if I wanted it. I thought that was kind of strange…since I didn’t know him… but he was just sooooo handsome, so I told her yes. The picture above is the one she gave me. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would get to date him…much less marry him! This was about a year before I met him. I took it home and put it on a table in our living room.
When Bobby came and picked me up for our first date… he was very surprised that I had a picture of him on my little table! It had been right there for a year. I hadn’t even thought of it that night. So I explained to him why I had it. Happy and funny memories! We laughed about this last night…again! I kept this picture until we married and then his mother wanted to trade me an 8 X 10 for the 5X7…because she didn’t have a frame to fit the larger one.
"Now…many happy years and two children, three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren later …life is still wonderful! By God's wondrous grace and His guidance and providence, we are where we are today!
Late Note of August 2013: When Bobby was in from the army, there was farm land with two houses for sale about 15 miles South and he wanted to go look at it. His dad told him he needed to go to Ada first, so Bobby took him to Ada. When they finally got to go look at the farm, another man and his wife were there looking too…and they purchased it.
So…if Bobby’s dad hadn’t needed to go to Ada that day…I might never have met Bobby. He would probably have bought that farm and moved over there and worked it…so thank you Grandpa Grady Ingram for that. Bobby didn’t need to farm anyway. He needed to be a barber. His career was also by God's grace because he was always available to his children whether at work or at home.
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