D-Day, 1934 or the marriage of L.D. and Inez Wood

Today marks the 78th anniversary of the day L.D. and Inez Wood were married in Clovis, NM before a Baptist preacher with only Harrel and Pauline Wood as witnesses. They went to Clovis because in NM, no premarital blood tests or waiting period were required. When Daddy and Mother decided they wanted to get married, they didn't want to wait 3 days to do it! So they drove the 100 miles to Clovis to marry. It should be noted that at the time they married, most young couples in the Lubbock area went to Clovis to get married. It was the middle of the Great Depression and only the most wealthy citizens could afford to have a wedding with all the trappings that people have now.

Every year on Daddy and Mother's wedding anniversary, Daddy would joke about how he was tricked by that ol' Baptist preacher. "I thought the contract was only for a year and then you had a choice about renewing. Come to find out, it was forever!"  Daddy would say this with a twinkle in his eye and a wry grin while Mother would say, "Oh, Dee!" while blushing prettily and grinning right back at him. They flirted this way with each other every year. Their marriage lasted 66 years and I attribute part of their marital success to the fact that they still had that spark and flirted with and teased each other. The other part of their marital success was simply the fact that they were married in a time where divorce was not considered a true option and they were both stubborn on that point. They had some problems when I was very young, but their stubbornness and love kept them together. As I overheard Mother say one day after a particularly big fight, "If he thinks I'm going to divorce him and leave this house and drag Elaine around from pillar to post, he's got another thing coming! I'm not going anywhere!"  So home she went and that was the end of even a whisper of a thought of ending the marriage.

Daddy would sometimes joke about the fact that he married Mother ten years before D-Day, the Allied invasion of Western Europe in 1944.  He said his own personal D-Day was when he married Mother, took her home to be his wife, and she invaded and took over everything! He was pretty firmly convinced that she did more damage. The truth was, he loved Mother and she loved him. They were quite different from each other, but it worked. He found her fascinating and fun. He was her rock.

Aren't we all glad that they found each other and had a lifetime of love?  None of us would be here without them!  Happy anniversary Mother and Daddy!