76 years ago today, my dad took my mother to be his wife. She was 15 years old. He was 23.

Did she have any idea what was ahead for her?

She passed away after 42 years of marriage, just short of turning 57 years of age. 4 years later he died at age 69.

They spent their lifetime in Smithwick except for a little less than 9 years they lived at Jollyville, Texas – 1956 to 1965.

They raised two knuckleheaded boys and then took on raising two adorable girls in what we call their second life of parenting.

They didn’t fuss and fight. She was pretty even tempered. But Cecil Lewis always knew when he had pushed her too far and it was time for him to drive down and set at the lake by himself, while she cooked supper or whatever was needing to be done. Then she’d call him on the CB and tell him “supper is ready”.

Each knew where they came from. There was nothing pretentious about either one of them, but they found respect far and wide. Never were there two harder working people. Life was never easy, but they seemed to enjoy almost all of what life offered up.