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Ken Fitzgerald
12-24-2013, 11:44 AM
45 years ago yesterday, the clerk of the court told me that the office was closing at noon on Christmas Eve and wouldn't open until after the New Year. My father watched as I stood in uniform and lied to her telling that I would be leaving on New Years Day for a deployment and wanted to get married before I left. She agreed to waive the 3 day waiting period if we could get the blood test done overnight. My father had to cosign as I was only age 19 and in Illinois at the time a male had to be a minimum age of 21 years old to get married without parental consent.

45 years ago today, I went to the court house with the blood test results from the hospital and the clerk gave me the license. I drove to my parents home and began making telephone calls trying to find a preacher who would marry a young US Navy sailor and his fiancée. I was supposed to pick my future wife up at 2:00 p.m. from the factory where she worked. I was still on the phone trying to find a preacher. She was still waiting when I arrived at 4:00p.m. with the news....I'd found a preacher to do the deed and we were getting married at 6:00p.m.

45 years ago today we said "I do!" We still do! ...and this morning in a brief moment in the hallway of our youngest son's home, we said we'd do it again....with the same person!

She was a young blonde divorce with 2 kids from her previous marriage. I met her on a blind date and 3 days later asked her to marry me. 9 days later I left for boot camp and 2 days after I got home from boot camp, on Christmas Eve we were married. 2 1/2 years later I adopted those 2 kids and 1 1/2 years later we had one more.

277965

Today we are in visiting in the Norfolk, VA area, with our youngest son, his lovely wife, their 3 year old twins daughters and their 17 month old son. We will also be visiting with our oldest grandson, his lovely wife and their 4 year old son.

Both our youngest son and our oldest grandson are active duty US Navy. We have one grandson on active duty in the US Army.

We have 8 grandchildren from ages 28 years to 17 months and 6 great-grandchildren.

Life has been awfully good to us!

Ted Calver
12-24-2013, 11:47 AM
What a great story. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Ken!!

Mike Henderson
12-24-2013, 11:52 AM
Congratulations, Ken. I hope you can both celebrate your 60th wedding anniversary (and maybe more).

Mike

Shawn Pixley
12-24-2013, 11:56 AM
Terrific story! Congratulations Ken and your lovely bride.

paul cottingham
12-24-2013, 11:58 AM
What a great story. Congrats, you two.

Steve Rozmiarek
12-24-2013, 12:38 PM
Congratulations to you and Mrs. Fitzgerald, Ken. Great story, thanks for sharing.

David G Baker
12-24-2013, 1:21 PM
Congratulations Ken. Awesome story.

Jim Koepke
12-24-2013, 1:54 PM
Happy Anniversary, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and three cheers for the cheerful tale. May you have many more over the years to come.

jtk

Raymond Fries
12-24-2013, 4:38 PM
Congratulations Ken.

What a heart warming story. Looks like you and your wife are living happily ever after and not in a fairy tale.

Enjoy Life...

Brian Libby
12-24-2013, 4:48 PM
Congratulations Ken! Thanks for sharing your story, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY and MERRY CHRISTMAS !

Sam Murdoch
12-24-2013, 5:36 PM
Pretty nice for a life story that begins with a "lie" :D.

Warms my heart. Happy for you and thank you for sharing. Merry Christmas.

Garth Sheane
12-24-2013, 6:03 PM
Terrific! Good on you both. Congratulations on your anniversary.

Paul McGaha
12-24-2013, 6:28 PM
Congratulations Ken, to you and your wife, a great story.

PHM

Mel Fulks
12-24-2013, 6:49 PM
Just read it, nice story! Hope your luck continues for a long time.

Frederick Skelly
12-24-2013, 8:18 PM
Ken,
Thats a tremendous story. Reading it was a great way to start the Holidays! Congratulations to you and your Bride. We wish you many more Happy Anniversaries!
Fred

Sal Kurban
12-24-2013, 9:25 PM
Very heart warming on a cold day... Fantastic story and fantastic results; my hats off to you Ken, and to Mrs. Fitzgerald!
Sal.

Phil Thien
12-24-2013, 9:58 PM
Love this story, Ken. Congratulations!

Michael Weber
12-25-2013, 1:27 AM
Congratulations Ken.

Don Morris
12-25-2013, 5:15 AM
Thanks for your and her service, because as a 30 yr Navy type, we know both served and were tested by it in those days. 45 yrs ago, if you needed a wife they would have issued you one. You survived and your love for each other got you through. Dating a divorcee with children has one big advantage: you get to see how she is with children. Something you have to guess at how a single woman would be. You saw something in her a lot of young and immature women don't have and made a great decision. Both of you are lucky. Congrats on 45. What will you do for 50?

Jim Becker
12-25-2013, 4:20 PM
Happy Anniversary!

Dave Ray
12-25-2013, 7:48 PM
Ken, Happy Anniversary, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Love your story

Gordon Eyre
12-25-2013, 8:13 PM
Such a neat story Ken, congratulations on your anniversary of this event. Sounds like a marriage made in heaven.

Bob Rufener
12-26-2013, 12:14 PM
Thanks for sharing this wonderful story. You are fortunate to have found each other. May you enjoy many more years together. Our oldest son is getting married on Feb 7th in Tulum, Mexico. Our first one to go down the aisle. Hopefully grandchildren in the future.

Brent Ring
12-26-2013, 1:17 PM
Happy Anniversary! May you enjoy many more years of happiness and joy together!

Don Orr
12-29-2013, 8:28 PM
Well done and congratulations. Best wishes for many mopre years to come!