My Courtship with My Wife

Every time I go to my church I pass by the house where I met Butch.

In the spring of l936 I was dating a girl that lived in a light-housekeeping residence on Broadway. One day, while visiting my girlfriend, I met another resident at the house. Her nickname was "Butch."

Butch lived with her grandparents that summer. One day two guys showed up at Butch's house to take her out. While the guys chatted in her living room, Butch crawled out the window of her bedroom, and into the bedroom of her cousin's house next door, and solicited her help.

In a short time, both girls entered the living room where we guys were sitting. Each girl took the arm of one of us, and we went out on a double date. Butch took my arm, and I will never forget the feel of her hand on my arm! Our romance was under way!

We dated all summer, swimming, playing tennis, going to movies, taking a walk, etc. Just before college started in the fall, Butch told me that she would give me one week to make up my mind between her and my other friend when the friend returned to start back to college. I had one date with the other girl, and told her "goodbye." No hearts were broken, as she married the guy she had dated back home that summer.

Butch and I dated during the next two college years. We were in a social club at college, went to church, ball game, did all the usual things college kids do.

I purchased her engagement ring at a jewelry store in Lubbock, and we became engaged at Christmas, l937. Then she graduated in June, 1938, and we had a long-distance relationship for the next year.

She was hired to teach Home Economics in the Panhandle, TX high school. I was born in Panhandle, and she met several people who knew my family. I made a few trips to Panhandle, and she came to Lubbock a time or two, and of course we corresponded a lot. This was a rough year in many ways.

In about April or May, 1939, I received a little "Dear John" package. She returned her engagement ring and told me she was marrying someone else. I was broken hearted, but began dating other women. I took the ring to the jewelry store to cancel what I owed. The man there said, "You will be needing this again one of these days. We will store it in our safe, and when you need it, let us know."

I graduated from college in June, 1939, and moved to Amarillo to begin a summer job with a grain company. I went to work on Monday, June 12. After work on Wednesday, I decided to drive over to Panhandle to see if Butch had married that guy. She was not at home, but I was told she would be back shortly, so I waited.

On her return, we began talking, and kissed and made up. To this day, I don't know what the deal was with the other guy. I asked no questions, and his name was not mentioned.

On Friday evening, I went back to see her. We decided that evening to get married on Sunday, June 18. The next day, Saturday, was a busy one for us. She went back to her parent's house, purchased a wedding dress, but did not tell her mother she was getting married.

I sent a telegram to the jewelry store in Lubbock to put the engagement ring and a wedding ring on the bus to Amarillo that afternoon (and they did). I went to a doctor's office to get a medical certificate required; to the county clerk's office for the marriage license; and called a church to make arrangements for a Sunday afternoon wedding. The pastor was out of town, but they gave me the name of the seminary professor who was filling in the next day, and the telephone number of his brother's house where he would be staying. I called the number and made the appointment.

Butch drove from Panhandle to Amarillo Sunday morning, and we had lunch with another couple. At about 3:00 p.m. we four went to the address given me, and the marriage ceremony took place. The only thing I remember about the ceremony was that the question "do you take this. . .to be your lawfully wedded . .. ?" was asked in a question to which we answered "we do" instead of the usual "I do."

We were married! The "reception?" The four of us went to a hamburger place after the wedding.

On Monday, Butch found us an apartment. On the following day, we sent telegrams to our parents. My mother called the local Lubbock paper and reported the wedding. Her father was out of town, building a new home in another city. He bought a copy of the Lubbock paper and read in it the account of his daughter's wedding. We could have been in a lot of trouble with our parents, but they were pleased that we had married, and forgave us for not inviting them.

We didn't have one of those "full blown, with all the bells and whistles" weddings, but we were married in a Christian ceremony, and the marriage lasted until her death in 1995--56 years! She was born, married, and died in June.

I will have more to say about our wonderful life together in a later 89 and holding edition.