Try to be equal and welcome partners

Ray and I have been married for 55 years. We are both relatively healthy. Our lives have not be easy by any means, but it hasn’t been incredibly hard either.

Before we met Ray had been in the Air Force for almost four years.

We met at a Service Clubsponsored event at the Albuquerque Little Theater. Ray was the bus driver. The young women at Regina School of Nursing were often invited to attend events sponsored by the Service Club.

In February 1966 we were engaged. We married in August 1966. By January 1967 we were expecting our first child. Soon thereafter Ray received orders for his next assignment, Okinawa. I was unable to accompany him because of my pregnancy. I moved back to Carlsbad to await the birth of our child. Except it wasn’t a child it was children. I wrote Ray about the twins but before he could reply they were here.

I was scheduled to go to Okinawa on Oct. 28, 1967.

I wrote my mother from Okinawa that I thought it should be a mortal sin to coop up a western girl on an infinitesimal speck of land in the Pacific Ocean.

We moved back to the States for our next assignment, but not for long, Ray got orders for Vietnam. Through this all we were there for each other. Took care of each other, thankful we could be together.

While he was in Vietnam, Sen. Barry Goldwater and others would help soldiers call home via shortwave radios. What a relief and a blessing. I also had the support of Ray’s family and mine.

Ray’s next station was Roswell where we had the closeness of my family for support. Our third child was born at Roswell.

Our last place we were stationed was Grand Forks, North Dakota.

We came back to Albuquerque with three kids and a cat. It was hard to adjust to finding a place to live and a new job. Ray went to TVI during the day and worked security at night. We decided he would work and go to school.

All in all I think the reason we have been happy together is each gives 100%. We are equal and welcomed partners. A problem that comes up is discussed and the solution is agreed upon. We love, respect, believe, trust and depend on each other.