- November 14, 2024
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Four couples, all close friends, celebrated Margie and Randolph’s 65th wedding anniversary June 12, at Outback. Together at one table sat 247 years of successful marriages. Here are their stories:
From kindergarten to 10th grade is how long it took Randolph to talk to Margie. He says it took so long because he had to grow up; he loved sports, especially basketball. Margie had no interest in boys; she loved her books. One day she decided to bring a comic book to school. She went to the gym and found a comfortable spot to read it. Then she heard Randolph say, “Margie, let me see your comic book.”
Margie found that he wasn’t like any other boys, and they never got around to the comic book. The next day she went to the gym again, and Randolph had been sitting by himself across the way. Margie used her index finger to call him over, and that’s where their 65 years began.
As they dated, they blocked out the rest of the world. “It was just he and I,” Margie said.
Randolph graduated high school and Margie was a year behind him; they got married Margie’s senior year. Once she graduated, they moved to Brooklyn, New York. After a year, Randolph was drafted and deployed to Germany for two years. Margie always asked God, “If you bring my husband back from Germany, we would never go out separate again.” They have never been separated since his return from war.
In seventh grade, walking to school, is how the Fosters met. When Mary saw J.C., she knew there was something special about him.
“He was different from the other boys,” Mary said.
Mary always had a thing for J.C., and he wasn’t sure he realized that at the time. They continued to stay friends through high school; even when J.C. had a girlfriend in the 10th grade. One day Mary asked to borrow J.C.’s football sweater, so he brought it to the homeroom that Mary shared with J.C.’s girlfriend. Mary laughs, “She wasn’t happy about that.”
After they graduated high school, J.C. went into the service and Mary went to Washington, D.C., to work. Once separated, they started corresponding via letters when they realized they should get married. They were married after J.C. returned from the service.
The Washingtons grew up together and were dating by the age of 13 in Brentwood, Maryland. In November 1953, Latrey was home on furlough from the Marines when they decided to get married. They picked the 11th since it was Veterans Day and everyone would be off to attend the wedding.
Clay Simpson set out for love and found it when going to a house party with his aunt over 60 years ago. Clay laughs as he reminisces on that evening saying, “And I took her home." Jessie had heard about Clay through her roommate at the time but had never met him.
Clay had already served four years in the service and was attending the University of Kentucky when he met Jessie, who was a teacher. Their marriage has been wonderful since they have so much in common. Clay also complimented Jessie’s cooking saying, “She’s a good cook. I’ve earned my diabetes.”
