Valentine’s day is a special holiday for many. The holiday allows for people to show how much they care for one another. For others, it can be a reminder of all the extraordinary memories they’ve had with their special someone.
Steve Dexter and his wife Kathy will be married for 50 years in April. They met through the University of Kansas where Steve was a part of the fraternity Triangle. They both attended events that the fraternity would throw. These parties led Steve to finding his future wife.
When the couple began dating, they often went to parties that had a bonfire and often a band. They went to the movies often too.
“We saw Sound of Music,” Dexter said.
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The couple dated for about a year-and-a-half before they were married in 1971. They decided to get married in a small memorial chapel in Leavenworth County, Virginia. Steve had previously lived there, so he was familiar with the area.
The best advice Dexter can offer for a long and successful marriage is to allow your partner to be themselves.
“Most important thing would be to celebrate your similarities, honor the things that you don’t have in common,” Dexter said.
Melissa Becker met her husband while working at a Publix in Florida in September of 1983. He was a bag boy, and she worked as a cashier. Although initially she thought he wasn’t her type, he was able to convince her to go out on a date with him.
“Our first date was an ACDC Back-to-Black concert,” Becker said. “We went to a lot of concerts. Poison was another one.”
The couple dated for six years before they got married. She worked in Florida while his job took him all over the country. Even though they were not close together, the couple made it work.
“He would fly me out to all of the places he was,” Becker said.
Eventually, her husband would be offered a job close to Augusta, and they would move here. They’ve had two children and could not be happier.
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“I got to marry my high school sweetheart,” Becker said.
Gwen and Steven Reimche are newlyweds who got married last August. They met through a mutual friend who threw a dinner party. Their first official date was a dinner date to Boll Weevil Café in downtown Augusta.
“We were definitely there for the dessert,” Gwen Reimche said.
The couple dated for five years before Steven popped the question. The pair went to go visit his grandpa up in North Carolina.
“I thought I was planning the trip, but he was just trying to lead me in that direction,” Gwen said.
The couple hiked up a mountain that was a big part of Steven’s life when he was growing up. It was there that he got down on one knee.
The wedding was thrown a little off track because of COVID-19, but that did not stop the couple from wanting to get married.
“It felt weird going another year not being married to each other,” Gwen said.
When it came to wedding planning, Gwen offered some insight.
“If you want it to happen, you’ll make it happen no matter what,” she said.
Sarah Beth Battles is a contributor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at producers@theaugustapress.com
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Sylvia Cooper, once again brought a smile and a bit of sunshine on a gloomy Georgia day. She never fails to create pretty pictures with her words.
This article wasn’t written by Sylvia, who I agree is very great with words!