I was encouraged to find and write about a couple for the February addition of The Crockett Rocket (the monthly paper I freelance for). I know I may seem a little partial, but I looked no further than two of the greatest people I know: my maternal grandparents.
Roe Nell and Gretta Hughes have been married for over 53 years and still hold hands when they walk together. They have been blessed to travel all over the United States (driving) and sharing those hours in conversations about life, God, children and grandchildren. When I was a sophomore in high school, my grandparents invited me on a trip out West. Now every high school student would not have enjoyed a LONG car trip with two savvy senior citizens, but I did. It was one of the greatest trips of my life. I know the location of every McDonald's restaurant between here and Montana and I saw more elk than I ever want to see again. While most of my friends' grandparents were deceased or confined to nursing homes, my grandparents were lively, fun people. They never complained about growing up with so little and they never brag about how much they now have. Solid people, good people, salt of the earth kind of people.
My grandparents raised two children, my mom, Vickie, and my uncle, Roe, Jr. They encouraged them to dream big and to follow their hearts. While I am sure they didn't always agree with the choices their children made, Roe Nell and Gretta are the kind of people you can come to when you have made the wrong choice and be forgiven instantly. I have never once heard either of them bring up an old argument when tackling a new challenge.
Four grandchildren have come onto the scene in the last 25 years. Paige, Sarah Beth, Roe III and myself have never wanted for anything due largely to the work ethic of our parents and the generosity of our grandparents. When we were kids, our grandparents took the whole family to Disney World. Roe Nell would have us up at the break of day to be first in line for the newest roller coasters. I didn't like getting up so early while on vacation, but I will never forget the gleam in my grandfather's eye as we raced the crowds to ride Splash Mountain or Rock'n'Rollercoaster. Roe Nell Hughes is a generous, caring man, but he is still as competitive as when he was a three-sport star at Alamo High School in the 1950s. Gretta may have a few more smile lines and her hair is gray, but she is still as beautiful as the girl that was crowned Miss Bells all those years ago.
For their 50th wedding anniversary a few years ago, I scraped together some money and took Roe Nell and Gretta to New York City. I had been through a rough time that year, and I wanted to do something I had never done. I couldn't think of anyone I would rather have shared the trip with than my grandparents. We saw the original Yankee Stadium, Broadway shows and rode to the top of the Empire State Building. I drug my grandparents from museum to museum and they had a great time. They have twice been on the TODAY show and Al Roker asked them the secret of a long, healthy marriage. "A lot of love," Gretta said. I think she is right. Two people, one from Bells, the other Alamo, that are so close they even share the same birthday. While their dating and courtship was short, their marriage has lasted through six different decades. While they would be the first to tell you it hasn't been perfect or even always easy, they would also say they are blessed beyond measure. Roe Nell and Gretta Hughes, true Crockett County sweethearts.
Roe Nell and Gretta Hughes have been married for over 53 years and still hold hands when they walk together. They have been blessed to travel all over the United States (driving) and sharing those hours in conversations about life, God, children and grandchildren. When I was a sophomore in high school, my grandparents invited me on a trip out West. Now every high school student would not have enjoyed a LONG car trip with two savvy senior citizens, but I did. It was one of the greatest trips of my life. I know the location of every McDonald's restaurant between here and Montana and I saw more elk than I ever want to see again. While most of my friends' grandparents were deceased or confined to nursing homes, my grandparents were lively, fun people. They never complained about growing up with so little and they never brag about how much they now have. Solid people, good people, salt of the earth kind of people.
My grandparents raised two children, my mom, Vickie, and my uncle, Roe, Jr. They encouraged them to dream big and to follow their hearts. While I am sure they didn't always agree with the choices their children made, Roe Nell and Gretta are the kind of people you can come to when you have made the wrong choice and be forgiven instantly. I have never once heard either of them bring up an old argument when tackling a new challenge.
Four grandchildren have come onto the scene in the last 25 years. Paige, Sarah Beth, Roe III and myself have never wanted for anything due largely to the work ethic of our parents and the generosity of our grandparents. When we were kids, our grandparents took the whole family to Disney World. Roe Nell would have us up at the break of day to be first in line for the newest roller coasters. I didn't like getting up so early while on vacation, but I will never forget the gleam in my grandfather's eye as we raced the crowds to ride Splash Mountain or Rock'n'Rollercoaster. Roe Nell Hughes is a generous, caring man, but he is still as competitive as when he was a three-sport star at Alamo High School in the 1950s. Gretta may have a few more smile lines and her hair is gray, but she is still as beautiful as the girl that was crowned Miss Bells all those years ago.
For their 50th wedding anniversary a few years ago, I scraped together some money and took Roe Nell and Gretta to New York City. I had been through a rough time that year, and I wanted to do something I had never done. I couldn't think of anyone I would rather have shared the trip with than my grandparents. We saw the original Yankee Stadium, Broadway shows and rode to the top of the Empire State Building. I drug my grandparents from museum to museum and they had a great time. They have twice been on the TODAY show and Al Roker asked them the secret of a long, healthy marriage. "A lot of love," Gretta said. I think she is right. Two people, one from Bells, the other Alamo, that are so close they even share the same birthday. While their dating and courtship was short, their marriage has lasted through six different decades. While they would be the first to tell you it hasn't been perfect or even always easy, they would also say they are blessed beyond measure. Roe Nell and Gretta Hughes, true Crockett County sweethearts.
0 comments:
Post a Comment