Romance was in cards for couple at Eagle’s Trace
When Bill “Skip” Cowan moved to Eagle’s Trace retirement community in 2014, he knew playing pinochle with his new friends would be fun. He had no idea it would lead to marriage.
The retired computer salesman originally from Pennsylvania met Dorothy Jean Nordt, a resident of Eagle’s Trace since 2008, during a cards night. She caught his eye, and he kept coming back to play. Some weeks, they played on opposite teams, and other times, they were paired as partners.
“The more I got to know Jean, the more I thought she was smart and attractive. I eventually asked her out,” said Cowan, 77.
“Our first date was a lovely dinner during a trip to Moody Gardens in Galveston for the annual ice and light show,” said Nordt, 86, a native Texan from Fort Bend County who worked as a secretary in Missouri City and later as a postal employee.
As they dated, their common life experiences created a stronger bond. Both were widowed (he was married 50 years; she for 61 years); they both had children and family throughout the country. And they shared similar values and interests.
“I kept asking her to go out again, and Jean kept saying yes!” said Cowan. “I enjoyed her sense of humor. It was a pleasure to spend time with her.”
After a near two-year courtship, Cowan proposed to Nordt on a quiet night in her apartment at Eagle’s Trace. Of course, she said yes, and they tied the knot on Nov. 5, 2016.
“The ceremony was held outdoors at my son’s house in Magnolia. The wedding was small with close family and friends,” she said. “They went all out with a western theme complete with bales of hay, a beautifully decorated arch and fresh flowers. It was so romantic ... Skip is my Texas cowboy!”
For their honeymoon, the newlyweds traveled from their home at Eagle’s Trace to Sargent, where they spent a week relaxing and sharing a mutual interest: fishing.
“We rented a house with a pier. At night, we would cast a line and catch all kinds of trout and redfish,” he said.
Their courtship and marriage made an impression on those who work at Eagle’s Trace.
“Sweetness. Love. Puppy dog eyes. Happiness. Active.” said Lisa Hadley, community resources coordinator. “Those are the words that immediately come to mind when I think of Jean and Skip.” Cowan agrees with those sentiments. “I tell people of my age to broaden their horizons beyond their own little world. Jean and I weren’t looking for romance, but we stayed active because life provides so many possibilities. In the end, romance found us,” he said.