By JAN KNOWLES
Our love story began in 1961. I met my husband-to-be on a blind date, and the date ended with a kiss good night, wow, that was quite a kiss, but I thought I would never see him again. Wrong, he called me up and we dated for nine months. We were in love. My parents thought otherwise. They did try and break us up but it did not work.
My Dad was military and was only home for a couple of weeks after a few months. My Mom did not like my boyfriend, so she wrote to my dad in Ecuador that she did not want me to date him anymore. So, my dad told me to stay away from him. I was not happy, so I ran away several times.
He came home in May 1962 and suggested if we were so in love that he would sign for me to get a marriage license. I had just turned 17 and Bob, 19, was on his way to Gainesville for college.
My Dad would do this if Bob and I promised we would not speak or see each other for thirty days. My Dad thought that Bob and I after that time would not care to see each other again. So we agreed.
After about two weeks of the thirty days, my Dad called me and said I am in Puerto Rico, pack your bags and come here for the next two weeks for a little vacation. Wow, that sounded great, I’m packing.
But then my Mom came to me and stated that my Dad would not be bringing me home and that the marriage license would be invalid after 30 days. She said I can see that you are both very much in love, so she would plan a small, quick wedding without telling my Dad.
She was wonderful and within a week, I got married at our minister’s house on June 14, 1962, and she held a little reception at our home. My Dad never knew about it.
When he got home in July for his leave, we had to tell him we were husband and wife. It took him years to get to know Bob and finally accepted him. In 1970 I had already had four children. My Dad died in 1980 and had accepted Bob as my husband and adored his grandchildren, our three girls and one son.
Bob and I just celebrated our 60th anniversary two years ago. So my father’s little scheme did not work. We were and still are in love.
So neither one of us ever asked the other if we wanted to marry, it was more or less my parents’ decision, even though they thought it would never happen.
BOB AND JAN KNOWLES TOGETHER FOREVER.
