The four parents conspired to arrange a seemingly innocent gathering at Jackie’s family’s home — the young people socializing in one room while the elders chatted in another, stealthily eavesdropping when they could.
Gwen Morphis, Jackie’s best friend since they were 6 and 8, respectively, recalls Jackie being her typical ebullient self during that gathering, animated and laughing as she sported her new dress, while Fred was his usual “stoic” self, quiet and observant.
Someone in the room, who was aware of the parents’ plan, looked at the seemingly unlikely pair and said something like, “Are you kidding me?” Morphis said. “And when someone asked him afterward what he thought (of Jackie), his comment was, ‘Well, she smiles a lot and has nice legs.’”
When Fred finished his military service, he came back to St. Louis to find Jackie, and that was that. “He just didn’t have a choice,” Morphis said.
Their long union had its challenges, as Jackie cheerfully admits that “Fred was not the easiest person to live with, and I’m sure he would say the same about me. Couples counseling off and on throughout the years was a staple,
Article source: http://www.blackmountainnews.com/article/20140208/LIVING/302090052/ If you need a cheap air ticket, hotel or rental car please visit http://www.airticket.com
