Till Death Do Us Part

Feature Story
By: Missy Talkington


They met during the early 1950s, when marriage was thriving and almost universal. They were young and in love and determined to tie the knot. Late night dates at the drive in movie theater weren't cutting it anymore for their love for each other. They got married after only knowing each other for under a year, but never was their love for each other or sanctity of their wedding vows questioned by anyone.

After being married and having two children, the groom was called to serve in the Vietnam War. The bride got her picture professionally taken in his favorite dress of hers so he could have it with him while being so far away. They wrote to each other as much as they could so their love for each other would never die out. When he finally came home it was supposed to be a time of happiness but their marriage was put to the test for another time. Their second son had fallen sick with leukemia. They had to take him to hospital after hospital to try and get him help, but nothing was working. Soon he was going blind and Christmas was around the corner. "My mom cried on a nightly basis to my dad, it took a huge tole on the both of them you could just see it in their eyes" said their older son Alan Scott. They decided that year to have Christmas early as a family in fear that he would not be able to see his presents by Christmas time. The following January the married couple lost their second born son. Alan states, "They never stopped loving or took it out on one another, it was almost as if they were even closer than they were before". Finally, things were looking up for the family and they had two more sons together.

Many years later when their three living children were grown they faced another challenge. The groom had been diagnosed with lung cancer. Fortunately, he fought through it and was in remission. "It really took a toll on my mom's health, she put everything she had into nursing him day and night and staying in the hospital for evenings at a time" says Alan. Shortly after the groom was in remission the bride was diagnosed with early stage of breast cancer. She too fought through this disaster with the love of her husband. One would have thought their love for each other was what was keeping them alive it was so strong.

Years down the road, though, the groom was diagnosed again with terminal lung cancer and heart disease. This time, though, he didn't make it through the battle. The bride never left his side, even at his last breaths that he took in their home together. After his death she told every one in her family she was never scared to die because she would be reunited with the love of her life. The bride went on to live the later years of her life full of happiness and love from her children and grandchildren. In her early seventies her health began to fail. She was found one day in her grooms favorite chair, which never left the spot he had it in their home together, and she wasn't breathing anymore. The family was upset but knew she went peacefully because she was now reunited with the love of her life just like she longed to be again one day.