It wasn’t long before I picked him out for my future husband. He didn’t notice me much until high school, though. We did most of our courting on my family’s front porch swing. He could easily walk to my house in five minutes.

We were engaged in the 11th grade. He made payments on my rings with money he made driving a school bus. We graduated in May 1957 and were married in December 1957. He had a job making $45 a week. Things were much cheaper then. Our rent was $25 a month and groceries around $10 a week.

We were married for 65 years [before he passed in late 2023], and were blessed with four children, seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Elaine Brown, Pinetops, a member of Edgecombe-Martin County EMC