How I met my Wife

\How I met My Wife

1 was borne in Paterson N.J, just west of New York City. After Pearl Harbor I couldn’t wait to be old enough to join the service. Early in 1944 I enlisted in the U.S.Navy and soon found myself in Memphis Tenn. My future wife (LaVerne) was borne is St.Louis Mo. LaVerne and several members of her family were visiting an uncle in Memphis and one evening found themselves at an amusement park on the cities north side. That evening I too was walking around that same park with a friend looking for girls. We spotted these two chicks watching the roller coaster and we asked them if they would like to walk around the park with us and to my surprise LaVerne’s father was standing next to the girls and he put his arm around my shoulder and invited us to join the family for the tour of the park. We spent several hours with this wonderful family and were even invited to the uncle’s house for food and drinks. Later that evening they drove us back to our base and wished us well.

The next day I wrote my first letter to this beautiful woman and we continued to write back and forth until Christmas. At that time I was issued a three-day pass but was restricted to fifty miles around Memphis only. I called St.Louis and told everyone I was catching a train and would arrive around 8: 15 at Union Station on Saturday. To avoid being picked up by the Shore Patrol on the train, I hid between two seats and other travelers piled their baggage in fount of the seat. I rode like this all the way to St.Louis and back two days later. LaVerne and her father met me at the station and we went to their home for the weekend. About 11am LaVerne asked me if I would go with her to their church to pick up her girl friend. We arrived at the church a little early and I asked LaVerne if she would marry me and she said yes. We did not say anything to her family, she wanted to wait until I was gone and she could tell them. The next day I returned to my base and started to write more letters, at least one every day and on weekends I would write several letters each day. A couple days later LaVerne’s family were seated at the table for their supper and her mom made a casual comment  to LaVerne " Did she think their was any chance she would see that sailor again," and LaVerne said, " He already asked me to marry him and I said yes." The room suddenly went silent.

We planned on a wedding the following June when I expected to get a two week leave after graduating from a school in Florida. Every thing went as planned and I arrived in St.Louis early on Friday June 1st. June 2, 1945 we had a big church wedding. Most of the relatives at the reception were taking bets that the marriage would not last because of the way we rushed into it. We only had $95 between us for our honeymoon and my expense back to my base but we made it. So we celebrated our 68th anniversary this year and look forward to many more happy years to come. We have two great sons, they are both married and live out of town, two super wonderful daughters-in-law, three grandchildren and five great grandchildren.. We have had our ups and downs in our life but we are still together.

My wife is 89 and I am 86, what counts most is that we are still together. I will have to work the rest of my life to survive but that’s O.K. because we are rich in our love and look forward to celebrating our 69th wedding anniversary next year. Before I leave the house I always give my wife a little kiss and tell her how I still love her. What more could we ask for.

To close this story I must explain that my wonderful wife passed away on October 15, 2013 as I held her in my arms. She had been ill for several months and our two sons were at her side as God set her free. As I sit here you might think that I am lost but that’s not true. My wife is and always be here beside me and I talk to her every day. A long time ago she came into my heart and she will remain there forever



Robert Rockford
360 Kings MT Loop
Greenwood Arkansas 72936
479 996 0718
Before we were married I would write my future wife every day and quite often enclose s short poem just for her. All these years she saved one special poem that meant so much to her. Recently while going through some of her belongings I found her copy of it and I am enclosing a copy that still has great meaning for us today.




I think of you often
I write to you every day
But there is so little
That seems worthwhile to say
It either rains or it doesn’t
It’s either hot or cold
The news is all uninteresting
Or it’s been told
The only thing that matters
Is that you are there
And I am here without you
And it’s lonesome everywhere
And I can feel your touch
Distance lends enchantment
And I love you so much
Still I’ve no heart to give you
For I want you to know
The only heart I ever had
I gave to you a long time ago

                                                                     Robert Rockford
                                                                     360 Kings MT. Loop
                                                                     Greenwood Arkansas 72936
                                                                     479 996 0718