1947 WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR
April 26, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
If my late husband, Ralph, was still alive we would be celebrating our 70th wedding anniversary May 1st. My thoughts this week have lingered on that time.
The year was 1946 when Ralph and I met. The Big War (World War II) was over and the veterans were returning in droves to the delight of we single girls.
Let me give you a bit of background. At that time in Dalton, Georgia there was a beautiful small Methodist Church which is no longer there. Ralph's dad was a Methodist preacher and was the pastor of that church. The parsonage was next door. My family lived a couple houses down the street. Cars were still hard to get so we walked everywhere.
My mother and I had walked to town on a Saturday afternoon. As we approached the parsonage, Ralph, who had just returned from the Pacific where he had spent the war maintaining radar, was sitting on the porch with his sister, Agnes. She introduced him to us.
I remember I was wearing a red coat and matching hat. I was an innocent teenager. I was a tiny girl and people told me I was pretty. But, I longed to look like movie star, curvy, Betty Grable.
Ralph told me he fell in love with me that day. He was six years older than me. About an hour after we returned home, Ralph called and asked me for a date. I already had a date but being the silly, immature girl that I was, I told him I couldn't go out as I had to wash my hair. Shortly, Ralph was on his porch and saw me leave with a fellow in his car. He never let me forget that!
Another memory of walking everywhere during and for awhile after the war was when the weather was bad we would call a cab which would take you anywhere for fifteen cents.
We both continued dating other people for awhile. Then we started going steady. I was working in an office in Chattanooga and living in a girls residence. Ralph started coming up there to pick me up for dates. At that time big name bands would play at the Memorial Auditorium and there would be dances. One weekend we had tickets to see Gene Krupa, a drummer. On the way there, Ralph parked behind the old Fort on highway 41 and asked me to marry him. He was pretty sure of the answer as he slipped an engagement ring on my finger. We told our friends at the dance. The next morning people were calling me nonstop.
On May 1st, 1947, Ralph and I were married in the little Methodist Chapel. Ralph's dad performed the ceremony. My daddy gave me away and said a prayer. Our siblings were all part of the ceremony. The church was overflowing with friends and relatives.
Ralph's dad had a brand new Chevrolet which we borrowed and drove to Atlanta for our honeymoon. Yes, I think 1947 was a very good year.
See you next time. Comments welcome. (Edited and typed by Tam.)
By Olivene Godfrey
If my late husband, Ralph, was still alive we would be celebrating our 70th wedding anniversary May 1st. My thoughts this week have lingered on that time.
The year was 1946 when Ralph and I met. The Big War (World War II) was over and the veterans were returning in droves to the delight of we single girls.
Let me give you a bit of background. At that time in Dalton, Georgia there was a beautiful small Methodist Church which is no longer there. Ralph's dad was a Methodist preacher and was the pastor of that church. The parsonage was next door. My family lived a couple houses down the street. Cars were still hard to get so we walked everywhere.
My mother and I had walked to town on a Saturday afternoon. As we approached the parsonage, Ralph, who had just returned from the Pacific where he had spent the war maintaining radar, was sitting on the porch with his sister, Agnes. She introduced him to us.
I remember I was wearing a red coat and matching hat. I was an innocent teenager. I was a tiny girl and people told me I was pretty. But, I longed to look like movie star, curvy, Betty Grable.
Ralph told me he fell in love with me that day. He was six years older than me. About an hour after we returned home, Ralph called and asked me for a date. I already had a date but being the silly, immature girl that I was, I told him I couldn't go out as I had to wash my hair. Shortly, Ralph was on his porch and saw me leave with a fellow in his car. He never let me forget that!
Another memory of walking everywhere during and for awhile after the war was when the weather was bad we would call a cab which would take you anywhere for fifteen cents.
We both continued dating other people for awhile. Then we started going steady. I was working in an office in Chattanooga and living in a girls residence. Ralph started coming up there to pick me up for dates. At that time big name bands would play at the Memorial Auditorium and there would be dances. One weekend we had tickets to see Gene Krupa, a drummer. On the way there, Ralph parked behind the old Fort on highway 41 and asked me to marry him. He was pretty sure of the answer as he slipped an engagement ring on my finger. We told our friends at the dance. The next morning people were calling me nonstop.
On May 1st, 1947, Ralph and I were married in the little Methodist Chapel. Ralph's dad performed the ceremony. My daddy gave me away and said a prayer. Our siblings were all part of the ceremony. The church was overflowing with friends and relatives.
Ralph's dad had a brand new Chevrolet which we borrowed and drove to Atlanta for our honeymoon. Yes, I think 1947 was a very good year.
See you next time. Comments welcome. (Edited and typed by Tam.)
