A forecast for enduring love
Mount Morris couple wed on Groundhog Day celebrate 75 years
No shadow of a doubt here.
Don Pyle knew Helen Stiles was the one for him.
And when he proposed, she said yes.
That无毛视频檚 why the Greene County couple motored to Oakland, Maryland, to stand before a minister and take their nuptial vows on the frosty Groundhog Day of 1951.
Which is also why the groom, as he jokes, had a most interesting dichotomy that day.
The heater in Don无毛视频檚 ride 无毛视频� a spiffy, 1942 Buick, in two-tone blue 无毛视频� was busted.
And it was chilly, man, chilly.
无毛视频淚 told the preacher无毛视频檚 wife I had cold feet,无毛视频� Don chuckled.
无毛视频淪he smiled. I said, 无毛视频楴o, my feet really are freezing. The heater in my car doesn无毛视频檛 work.无毛视频� So, she brought out this warmer kind of thing.无毛视频�
Does that mean the groom who had cold feet 无毛视频� also had his feet held to the fire 无毛视频� at the same time?
无毛视频淕ood one,无毛视频� Helen said.
无毛视频淗uh, never thought of that,无毛视频� her husband seconded.
Buster and the incredible, inedible pie
Helen turned 93 last week. Don just made his 95th trip around the sun. Today, as said, is their 75th wedding anniversary.
Their son and only child, Joe R. Pyle 无毛视频� yes, the auctioneer with the signature Stetson, loud-on-purpose sport coat and the most kicking cowboy boots this side of Bakersfield 无毛视频� said his parents have been blessed by being best friends, besides husband and wife.
无毛视频淪ometimes, it doesn无毛视频檛 work out with couples,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淲ith my parents, it did. They still genuinely enjoy each other无毛视频檚 company. They still do things together. They still have fun.无毛视频�
They started dating while they were both students at Clay-Battelle High School in Blacksville, W.Va.
Don无毛视频檚 family had moved just over the Pennsylvania state line to nearby Greene County 无毛视频� he and Helen still live in Mount Morris 无毛视频� but he walked a mile to the bus stop every day so he could graduate with his classmates.
Helen quickened his step. She was friends with his sister and came to the house for a sleepover one weekend.
Somebody noticed.
无毛视频淎 romance blossomed, as they say,无毛视频� Don remembered.
无毛视频淔ell in love,无毛视频� Helen seconded.
After marriage and Don无毛视频檚 stint in the military, they set up housekeeping. Don took a factory job but the work wasn无毛视频檛 steady.
Being a wrench-turner from way back, he started flipping cars for extra money and parlayed a side gig into a good career, eventually owning a successful garage and car dealership by the time he was done.
无毛视频淗e worked hard and he knew how to connect with people,无毛视频� Joe said.
无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 what it is. It无毛视频檚 that 无毛视频榗onnectivity.无毛视频� I mean, he didn无毛视频檛 call it that, but he knew how to bond with his employees and especially his customers. He still checks in on his friends. He calls and emails.无毛视频�
While Don worked at his garage, Helen managed the household.
She无毛视频檚 renowned for her cooking, but in those early days, Helen and her kitchen weren无毛视频檛 always on speaking terms, her son laughs.
无毛视频淵eah, they were just married and she baked a pie,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淭he crust was so tough they couldn无毛视频檛 cut into it.无毛视频�
Before Joe, they had a loveable dog named Buster.
As Don and Helen were a frugal couple who didn无毛视频檛 want to waste food, they gave the pie to the pup, who sidled up to it, sniffed, fixed the couple with a look 无毛视频� and padded off.
无毛视频淣ot even Buster,无毛视频� Joe laughed. 无毛视频淗e wasn无毛视频檛 having any of it. And now my mother无毛视频檚 peach pies are legendary.无毛视频�
无毛视频榊ou just do无毛视频�
Their son, the auctioneer, turned the story into a primer on how to succeed in business and life.
Rather, if you don无毛视频檛 know how to do something at first, or if you aren无毛视频檛 good at something at first, you will master it or at least be passable at it 无毛视频� if you work at it.
He never saw his parents have to work at their marriage.
They无毛视频檙e always at the table together, for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
During the COVID days when everyone was isolated, they still went on drives, cruising the Pennsylvania two lanes together, in a car with a heater that worked this time.
In a time when couples don无毛视频檛 stay wed for 75 days, and personal longevity aside, how have they managed to remain married for 75 years?
无毛视频淵ou just do,无毛视频� Don said.
无毛视频淕ive and take,无毛视频� Helen said.
无毛视频淵eah,无毛视频� Don countered. 无毛视频淪he无毛视频檚 not always nosy.无毛视频�
无毛视频淎nd he无毛视频檚 not always annoying,无毛视频� came Helen无毛视频檚 retort, with nary a pause.
Then, they both laughed.
Heck, their son said: Punxsutawney Phil himself couldn无毛视频檛 have projected a better bid for wedded bliss.