Love is in the air as Valentine’s Day approaches. Most young men will be buying flowers, chocolates and cards. It is also the day that most marriage proposals are made but what happens after the proposal when the two start a life together? How does that love keep two people together for 5 years or 10 or 20 or 50?
WHS teacher Amy Spunaugle met her true love at a baseball game.
“Marc and I met after a Clarinda A’s baseball game," she said. "I went to the game with my college roommate during the summer. After the game, we went out to dinner with some of the baseball players. Marc was there with his co-workers from the Clarinda Academy. I told my roommate that I thought he was really funny. She got excited because he was friends with her older brother. Kody, my roommate, made sure we met each other that night. A few days after that night, he asked me on a date. I said 'yes' but got cold feet and tried to avoid the date. Marc persisted and showed up on our door step. We sat that entire night on our front porch talking. When the sun was coming up, he decided he better get home. I ran upstairs woke my roommates up and told them I was going to marry him someday.”
Warsaw's Crystal and Daryl Boyd met in high school.
“Daryl and I have known each other since we were teenagers, but didn’t start dating till I was 21 and he was 26 years old," she said. "After dating for one year we married in 2006. When we wed, I had two children already and Daryl didn’t have any children of his own. We decided to start the foster care journey in hopes of adopting one baby and then our family would be complete. Little did we know that God had a different plan. We went on to foster 23 children over the thirteen years. Out of our 23 foster children we adopted six of them. Daryl and I now have 8 children ranging from age 23 to age 4. God has truly blessed us in our LOVE story.”
Many of the couples in Benton County met while in high school. Jodi and Heath Karr started dating while in high school although Jodi was a student at Cole Camp and Heath was a student at Warsaw High School.
“Grant, Heath’s brother, was dating my best friend and since Grant couldn’t drive yet, Heath would bring him to Cole Camp and my friend suggested that Heath and I go on a double date with them. Well, Grant didn’t date my friend very long but Heath and I dated for six and a half years before we were married,” she said.
The Karrs were married on New Year’s Eve and have been married for 35 years. They are the parents of three children and one grandchild with another on the way.
Warren and Vicki Schroder were also high school sweethearts.
“We knew each other because WHS was a small school but we started dating after going on a double date with two of our friends," she recalled. "We started talking and we ended up dating each other instead of the person we went on a date with.”
The Schroders have been married 68 years in March and are the parents of four daughters.
Ron and Janice Jenkins have been married for over 50 years.
“Ron and I attended WHS together but we really did not know one another. When he was a senior, I was just a sophomore. I knew who he was because he was a basketball star but I was just a farm girl from Fristoe,” she said.
“We got acquainted when we both attended UCM in Warrensburg. Ron was dating my best friend and I was dating his roommate. One summer afternoon in 1963 Ron called to see if I wanted to go to the drive-in movie in Warsaw. I really didn’t want to go because I was dating someone else at that time but I went with him anyway and as they say the rest is history. We were married in June of 1964."
“Ron is my best friend and we make all our decisions together. We don’t disagree much because Ron is easygoing and very understanding of my faults. He never gets mad. We are active in our church and put God first in our lives which is probably the best advice I can give for a happy marriage,” she concluded.
Another couple who started dating in high school was Jim and Shawn Reser Miller. According to Shawn, her younger sister LuAnn set them up on a date for Echoes way back in 1968.
“Jim didn’t like to dance so it was not the best night for him but as a couple we hit it off,” she said.
Shawn and Jim recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and have spent most of their lives together since they worked together at the local funeral home.
“Jim always wanted to fly so after he received his pilot’s license, we decided to take a weekend trip to O’Fallon,” she commented. “My dad said it was fine for Jim to go, but he didn’t want me in that little plane. I went anyway.”
The Millers are the parents of two sons and grandparents of five grandsons and one granddaughter.
“All marriages have their ups and downs, however, we have been happy all these 50 years,” she concluded.
Katy Trail dental hygienist Jessica Burdick fell in love with her tutor.
“Drew was my math tutor in college and we hit it off! We have been together for 20 years and married 19 years! We got married on the beach in Maui, Hawaii,” she exclaimed!
WHS English teacher Amanda Adler met her husband on the internet.
“My mother signed me up on a dating page and Stan sent me a message,” she said. “She didn’t tell Stan that she had signed me up until after we were married. I always listen to my mother; she always gives good advice.”
The Adler's have been married 14 years and are the parents of three.
“Luckily, Stan likes my mother since we live right next door now,” she commented.
Dr. Amber Campbell met her husband on a dating site as well.
“I was a resident at Research Hospital in Kansas City and I signed up just for fun," she said. " As a resident you don’t meet many guys unless they need medical attention, but I was surprised when Gary asked to meet me out for dinner. It was a snowy evening and we stayed at the restaurant for a long time talking. We both drove there so I drove home very carefully. Gary slid off the road and wrecked his car, but he didn’t let that discourage him.”
Amber and Gary have been married for 15 years and are the parents of two children.
So young lovers, there is a great deal of good advice from some people who have kept their love alive for many years. Have a great Valentine’s Day and remember guys, just a little card on February 14 will bring a smile to her face.
