The Happiest Day of My Life~ September 11, 1975

Forty years ago today at approximately 3:30 pm, Louie and I said our ‘I do’ ‘s’ in the Galena, Illinois courthouse. We were accompanied by our friends Diane and Steve, who were also a couple. We were to be married by the Justice of the Peace, but he was not available. I panicked. Thank the Lord though, a Circuit Judge married us. I giggled from nerves all the way from the beginning to the ‘I now pronounce you man and wife’. I was one month away from being 18 years old.

This announcement should have also mentioned my father, Sanford McClure, who passed away when I was 12, and Louie’s father Emil Bartels, who passed away when Louie was 6. Both of our mothers remarried.

This is us today. Forty years later, and I am just as much, or MORE in love than the day I took his last name. Thank you Lord Jesus for choosing Louie for me. I prayed for a man just like him when I was 13, and He delivered.

We are taking some vacation days this week and just spending time together. We don’t have any big plans, just doing whatever. No schedules, no pressures, no far away destinations. Yesterday we went to Dubuque and ate at Pizza Ranch. In case we weren’t sure before, we now know. We are old. We got the Senior Discount!!!!

I’d be really happy if the Lord blessed us with 40 more years, but I know that is probably pretty unrealistic, so I’m going to ask God for another 25 years, AT LEAST.