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Ken Fitzgerald
12-24-2014, 11:44 AM
It was October 1968. I was 19 riding in the back seat of a friend's '66 Chevy guarding the beer as we cruised the gravel roads consuming said suds. In the dark I could see the outlines of the heads of my two drinking buddies. I was leaving for US Navy bootcamp in a few days so we wouldn't be doing this very much longer. "You know what I'd like?" I asked. "What?" was their reply. "I'd like a date with a blonde who's got a good personality" I responded. In the dark, I could see the outline of their heads turn towards each other. "We know the girl...where do want meet her?" they replied. My response "Mr. Quicks....dinner and a movie." (No....I didn't mean dinner at Mr. Quicks, a local hamburger joint on the "drag" all the local young people dragged.)

The next day I washed and waxed my '64 SS Impala convertible. That evening, I was sitting in the parking lot of Mr. Quicks when a '64 green Mercury pulled up beside me. To this day I am still surprised this shy little blonde had the nerve to get out, walk up to my car and say "Are you Ken? I'm Sharon and I'm your date."

3 days later on our 3rd date, I asked her to marry me. 9 days later I left for US Navy bootcamp after signing over my savings and checking accounts. I came home on Christmas boot camp leave and we were married on Christmas Eve.

She was a young blonde divorcee with 2 kids ages, 3 and 2. Two years later I adopted those two kids and a couple years later we had one more. We have 3 kids, 8 grandkids and 7 great-grandkids.

I nearly lost her to a deadly, rare form of cancer 22 years ago. She's the glue that holds our family together. She adds color to my life. We are so different and yet we complement each other so well. I'd be a lost soul with out her presence in my life. She's my worst critic and my best friend.

I am blessed by having her in my life!

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These are the only two existing photos of our wedding.




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Taken on the shores of Lake Pukaki, South Island, NZ March 2014.

We have come a long ways together!

Shawn Pixley
12-24-2014, 11:53 AM
Congratulations Ken and Sharon! I love this story.

Bruce Page
12-24-2014, 11:55 AM
46 years! Congratulations to both of you! Sharon must be a saint but you already know that!

Harold Burrell
12-24-2014, 11:57 AM
Wow. What a cool story. Happy Anniversary, you two! And Merry Christmas!

Paul McGaha
12-24-2014, 12:02 PM
Congratulations Ken, to you and the Mrs.

Bill Huber
12-24-2014, 12:02 PM
And she has put up with you for 46 years, she is one strong lady....;)

Congratulations to both of you and Happy Holidays....

Kent A Bathurst
12-24-2014, 12:08 PM
You've been punching above your weight class for quite a while, Ken.

Congratualtions.

Kent

Jim Creech
12-24-2014, 12:10 PM
46 years and no restraining orders? Remarkable lady to be certain. Congrats to you both and many more to come!!!!!

Gordon Eyre
12-24-2014, 12:22 PM
What a great story. Congrats to you both.

Bill Bukovec
12-24-2014, 12:23 PM
What happened to the Impala?

Lee Schierer
12-24-2014, 12:26 PM
Congratulations. My wife, Sue, and I were also married on Christmas Eve, 44 years ago.

Ken Fitzgerald
12-24-2014, 12:28 PM
Congratulations. My wife, Sue, and I were also married on Christmas Eve, 44 years ago.

Happy anniversary to you and Sue, Lee!

Phil Thien
12-24-2014, 12:29 PM
Happy anniversary you two!

Phil Thien
12-24-2014, 12:30 PM
Congratulations. My wife, Sue, and I were also married on Christmas Eve, 44 years ago.

And happy anniversary to you guys as well!

Ken Fitzgerald
12-24-2014, 12:30 PM
What happened to the Impala?

I sold it to the drinking buddy who was riding shotgun that night. A few months later after he'd had too much to drink, at an excessive speed he hit a parked Caddy with it and totaled it. He survived with only minor injuries.

Ken Fitzgerald
12-24-2014, 12:34 PM
Thanks everybody for the compliments and well wishes!

Steve Schlumpf
12-24-2014, 12:52 PM
Happy Anniversary Ken & Sharon!!! :D

ray hampton
12-24-2014, 12:52 PM
12/24/ must be a favorite day for wedding, as least on the sawcreek, my first wife and I got marry on 12/23/66, we want to get marry on the 24st BUT the minister had other plans for that day

Mike Henderson
12-24-2014, 12:56 PM
Congratulations, Ken. May you share many, many more anniversaries.

Mike

paul cottingham
12-24-2014, 1:00 PM
What a great story, Ken, thanks for sharing it. My wife and I celebrated 14 years of marriage yesterday. Well, I celebrated, she just kind of mourned. :-)

Raymond Fries
12-24-2014, 1:02 PM
What a heart warming story. Happy Anniversary to the both of you. Nice picture of the happy couple still in love...

Happy Holidays...

Enjoy Life...

Matt Day
12-24-2014, 1:51 PM
That's a great story Ken! Happy anniversary!

Glad you both learned to smile over the years. :-) that wedding picture was well before the years you could take 10 pictures and look at them right away and pick the best one!

Bill ThompsonNM
12-24-2014, 6:01 PM
Happy anniversary ! May you have many more together. Myra and I celebrated 43 this year-- my how time flies doesn't it!

George Bokros
12-24-2014, 6:15 PM
It's just over 46 1/2 yrs for us too. Married April 27 1968. She is one wonderful woman.

Happy anniversary to the both of you.

And Merry Christmas to all.

Jim Koepke
12-24-2014, 8:27 PM
Happy Anniversary Ken.

I enjoy reading this story.

My wife and I will be celebrating 33 years on New Years Day.

I didn't get married until I was in my 30s. She had three daughters from a previous marriage.

We have a son together who is now with the Air Force and has three of his own.

jtk

Dave Ray
12-24-2014, 8:42 PM
Love that story Ken, happy anniversary and Merry Christmas

Bert Kemp
12-24-2014, 8:58 PM
Yes Ken Congrats we all should be so lucky. :)

Rich Riddle
12-25-2014, 12:07 AM
Ken, for your 50th anniversary are you going to put that uniform back on and pose for photos similar to the wedding photos?

Rick Potter
12-25-2014, 2:59 AM
Congratulations to you and Lee both. I was lucky too. She looked sideways at me and said...."I guess you'll do". JFK was Pres.

Michael Weber
12-25-2014, 11:35 AM
Cool story Ken and congratulations Some of us are luckier than we deserve.

Ken Fitzgerald
12-25-2014, 11:44 AM
Ken, for your 50th anniversary are you going to put that uniform back on and pose for photos similar to the wedding photos?

Rich......I don't think we have that uniform any more and it would not fit any way. She's a good cook and I like to eat.

Dennis Peacock
12-25-2014, 12:29 PM
Congrats and Happy Anniversary...!!!!! Time sure flies when you're having fun eh Ken..!!! :)

Ken Fitzgerald
12-25-2014, 1:40 PM
It does fly Dennis!


Thanks everybody for the comments and well wishes!

Glenn Bird
12-25-2014, 3:23 PM
Congratulations and best wishes for many more. Thanks for sharing.

Andrew Joiner
12-25-2014, 5:57 PM
Beautiful story Ken.

Bob Rufener
12-26-2014, 7:31 AM
Wonderful story and thanks so much for sharing. You are indeed a lucky couple to have found each other.

Jim Seyfried
12-26-2014, 9:53 AM
Congratulations Ken!

Chris Walls
12-26-2014, 9:13 PM
Ken
Congratulations, the years go by too fast . It is nice to be able to look back and be thankful of all our blessings. It's 41 and counting for Melanie and I. I'm hoping for 41 more.

Chris

Mike Cutler
12-26-2014, 9:54 PM
Congrat's Ken.
May there be many more happy memories.

Brian Ashton
12-27-2014, 4:07 PM
Well at least you're smiling in the most recent pic LOL. Good on ya mate!

David C. Roseman
12-27-2014, 6:25 PM
What happened to the Impala?

Bill, now there you go getting nostalgic on us in the middle of a good story. ;)

Congratulations, Ken and Sharon!

David