Join Us For A Golden Milestone

 

I never cease to be amazed at how God chooses to put people together. 

I met Linda Bowling in October, 1969 just before my 19^th birthday.  To say I was smitten immediately would be an understatement.  This month we will celebrate 50 years of marriage.  Who would have thought it?

We were born four months and 29 miles apart in the coalfields of southwestern West Virginia.  Me in Logan County, she in neighboring Mingo County.  Our fathers and grandfathers were all coal miners at one time or another.  Our dads were WWII vets.  Mine in the Navy, hers fought under General Patton in North Africa and Sicily in the Army.  Their fathers were both Doughboys in WWI fighting the Kaiser’s troops in France.  Our mothers and grandmothers were stay at home Mom’s (as were many in the early 50’s).  I was the oldest of 3 boys and she was one of the middle children in a brood of six.

I grew up in Huntington.  She was raised in Pike County, Kentucky.  I was a city boy and attended a large grade school.  She was a country girl who attended a one room school for her first eight grades. I graduated from Huntington East High School in 1968 and enrolled in Marshall University with a joint major in Political Science and History.  She graduated Belfry High School a year later and moved to Huntington, going directly into the work force.  She found a job in the credit department at Anderson Newcomb Department Store working for a beautiful lady named Elsie Singleton. (That in itself is another interesting twist of Providence.)

In October, 1969 I was in attendance at a revival meeting at the Thomas Memorial Free Will Baptist Church in Huntington. Melvin Sanford was an evangelist from Florida and the church was filled to capacity nearly every night.  It was somewhat of a “bapticostal” church and the worship style could be considered exuberant.  Near the close of one particularly emotional service, I caught a glimpse of a “new girl”. She was tall, beautiful, wearing a black dress, and her eyeliner was smeared from shedding tears in the service. Looking back on it now, I was kind of like the cartoon character whose eyeballs pop out of his head when he views something amazing.  I didn’t know who this young woman was but I was captivated. Turns out she and her older roommate were temporarily staying with Dorla Hagley, one of the young married ladies in our church, waiting for their apartment to be ready to move into. 

The service had been over for a while and I stood on the sidewalk talking to an old friend, Jackie Black. As he and I talked under the lamppost there on Buffington Street, Dorla’s car rolled up to where we were standing and THE GIRL was in the passenger’s seat!  We walked over as she rolled down the window.  Their question was about the age of our Pastor’s son.  My first words to my future wife were, “Don’t tell me you’re in love with him too!” All the girls in the church seemed to be. “No!” she replied quickly.  “I’m trying to find out for my roommate.” 

My pursuit began.  I wanted to know everything about her.  She began attending our church and was always with some of us older youth.  I wanted to know everything about her.  Who was she?  Where was she from? Where had she been all of my life?  What was it about her that made me forget all about several other girls I had been dating?  If she was from Matewan, and graduated from Belfry, what was that big ring with a “P” on it, all wrapped with yarn?  There was just a lot to learn – and I set out to win her over.  She didn’t seem to like me so much at first, but I am a persistent character.

 As we began dating and getting to know each other better, I began to realize how different we both were. 

She was kind and considerate. She was outgoing and she always saw the best in everyone. She was outgoing and made friends quickly with people her own age and even with many of the older and middle aged women in the church.   I was cynical and  sarcastic by nature – emotional and quick tempered. Fiercely loyal to close friends, but standoffish with strangers.  (I know you can hardly believe that, but it’s true!)  I came to realize that along with my mother and grandmother,  that she was one of the best human beings I have ever known.  How could two people so different end up together?

As I said, strange how God, in His Sovereign plan, puts people together.  I had previously been fairly seriously dating a young lady in our church.  One of the older women told us at one time, “We were a match made in Heaven”.  Turns out, God did have a match made, but it wasn’t what Rema White had in mind.  He had another plan.

Linda and I exchanged vows on June 19, 1971 in that same church building where I had first laid eyes on her 20 months earlier.  My Dad performed the ceremony.  Her sister Violet Bennett, two cousins, Brenda Huddle and Joyce Pope, and her friend Lois Vallance were her attendants. Standing up with me were Doug Goolsby and Larry Gunnoe (both college buddies) and lifelong friends, Phil Cheek and Donnie Smith; along with my brother, Bruce.

50 years have passed.  We have lived in Huntington; Nashville, TN; Willow Wood, OH; Gwinn, Michigan; Biloxi, Mississippi; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and for the past 41 years in Ashland, KY.  She has stuck with me through college, Air Force, sales management, two decades working in our Insurance office, and 50 years of Pastoral ministry in six churches. 

On Saturday, June 19th we will be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of our wedding.  Linda and I would love to have you join our family between 1 and 3 PM in the Westmoreland Baptist Church's Multipurpose building for a celebration of our 50 years of marriage. We request NO gifts other than the honor of your presence with us. Refreshments will be served and you may feel free to come and go at your leisure.  If you are in the area and can spare the time, we would love to see you there!  The Church is located at 3401 Hughes Street in the Westmoreland Community of Huntington and the Multipurpose building is just behind the Worship Center and Education buildings.  

Ya'll come!