Love Struck!

1952 - Mom and Dad meet and fall in Love

From my mother's  history...

"One day near the end of May I met the love of my life. I still can't understand why he even gave me a second look. Bonnie and I had been swimming. Afterwards we walked to the telephone office to meet Sharon and Liz Armstrong to go to supper. Our hair was wet and straight and stringy. We had baseball caps on, a big baggy shirt and pedal pushers. We looked like a couple of scroungy kids."

Liz, a girl mom worked with, was just getting off work. A gentleman by the name of  Julius Jones came to pick her up. He had another guy with him... Jim Bates... who would become my father.

"Jim was a tall, dark good looking guy with beautiful blue eyes and brown curly hair. They were going to Liz' apartment to have watermelon and invited us. I felt like three's a crowd so I told them that I'd go to our apartment and Liz and Bonnie could go. I didn't know Jim from Adam, but he got out of the truck, picked me up and put me in the back of the truck and said, "I'm going to marry you." I guess it was love at first sight!"

They went to Liz' apartment, located on 4th East in Price.

"When we got there we got out of the truck and whoever was carrying the watermelon dropped it and it busted. We really had a laughing spell over that. We went into the apartment and ate the pieces. I think we took Bonnie home. I don't remember. I guess I was too love struck by then. I know I had changed into a dress by then. Jim and I went to the park and swung in the swings and teeter-tottered and walked around. I think we were there til 2 a.m." 

In my father's words...

"I was discharged from the army in April of 1952. Julius Jones had met a woman that was employed at the local telephone office in Price. One night in early May he had a date with her and asked me if I would like to go along. "Sure", I replied. We pulled up at the telephone office on 1st West and 1st North to wait for Liz Armstrong to get off work from Ma Bell Telephone. As she came out of the office door, two other young ladies approached the door from the street side. Jones-e and I were standing with our mouths open- so Liz took the opportunity to introduce us, "This is Ellen Bentley and Bonnie Oliver, two other operators." Ellen was wearing a pair of blue pedal pushers, a baggy shirt and wearing a base ball cap. Boy or girl? There really wasn't any question as to her gender, but she looked like a typical tomboy."

"We were going up to Lizzie's apartment for a water melon bust - so I asked Ellen if she would like to go along. She wasn't sure - so I picked her up and tossed her into the back of the truck. Told her I was going to marry her! The melon bust was a real bust. Jones-e dropped the ball and the melon burst into a dozen pieces, all over Lizzie's patio. We ended up just walking to the park where we played on swings and other equipment. Exciting night!" 

I love the story of how my parents met. My favorite part is when dad picked mom up and tossed her into the back of the truck and said "I'm going to marry you!" 

And it did not surprise me at all how mom and dad had two different perspectives on meeting each other for the first time. Obviously mom was self conscious about the way she looked (we girls tend to be that way). Having been swimming earlier, she described her and Bonnie as "looking like a couple of scroungy kids." Yet, when dad saw mom come out of the side door his "mouth dropped!" Tomboy and all... love struck, I'd say!!! 

This daughter is grateful for that day in front of the telephone office! For the love that developed from the first time they met. Lucky for me!

My parents were an example of love and sacrifice throughout their lives. They loved each other and they loved their family. Being loved and seeing love in action brought with it trust, loyalty, peace, comfort, joy, and security. Belonging to a family filled with love was truly a gift that I never take for granted. Our parents are gone, but their "legacy of love" continues on in their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. We love each other. Love is eternal.