| August 2015 |
| Billie Silvey |
It was the wedding that almost wasn't, and it
became the love affair of half a century.
When Frank and I met at Abilene Christian
College, we wanted to get married. But the
college, acting in loco parentis, decided that
he wasn't good for me. They refused to let us
marry during the school year.
Abilene Christian had very strict rules, and
Frank tended to be a little rebellious.
So we married during summer break at my
parents' home in Lubbock, Texas, on August
25, 1963, just before we went back to school
in the fall.
Our wedding may not have been all I'd have
dreamed--no church, no college friends, no
flowers, no singing--but the golden
anniversary celebration more than made up
for it.
Our Golden Wedding Anniversary was held at
the Culver Palms Church of Christ in Los
Angeles August 25, 2013. The tables were
covered with bunches of seven daffodils in
reference to the song Frank sang to me
when we were courting.
Some 60 members of the church were there,
plus 20 members of Frank's singing group,
the Mansfield Chamber Singers. We even
had a college friend, Kay Burton Nagel, who
had been at Abilene when we were there.
Everybody sang and rejoiced together.
My friend Len Nguyen and I had worked
together to start the Palms Neighborhood
Council, and he brought a certificate of
congratulations signed by the councilman
and the mayor. (That's how it's done in L.A.
A lot of people get certificates, but it all
depends on the signatures. Ours were
top-drawer!)
The certificate hangs just around the corner
in our dining room where everyone who visits
can see it. It never fails to make me smile.
became the love affair of half a century.
When Frank and I met at Abilene Christian
College, we wanted to get married. But the
college, acting in loco parentis, decided that
he wasn't good for me. They refused to let us
marry during the school year.
Abilene Christian had very strict rules, and
Frank tended to be a little rebellious.
So we married during summer break at my
parents' home in Lubbock, Texas, on August
25, 1963, just before we went back to school
in the fall.
Our wedding may not have been all I'd have
dreamed--no church, no college friends, no
flowers, no singing--but the golden
anniversary celebration more than made up
for it.
Our Golden Wedding Anniversary was held at
the Culver Palms Church of Christ in Los
Angeles August 25, 2013. The tables were
covered with bunches of seven daffodils in
reference to the song Frank sang to me
when we were courting.
Some 60 members of the church were there,
plus 20 members of Frank's singing group,
the Mansfield Chamber Singers. We even
had a college friend, Kay Burton Nagel, who
had been at Abilene when we were there.
Everybody sang and rejoiced together.
My friend Len Nguyen and I had worked
together to start the Palms Neighborhood
Council, and he brought a certificate of
congratulations signed by the councilman
and the mayor. (That's how it's done in L.A.
A lot of people get certificates, but it all
depends on the signatures. Ours were
top-drawer!)
The certificate hangs just around the corner
in our dining room where everyone who visits
can see it. It never fails to make me smile.
The Wedding That Almost Wasn't
Frank has helped me with everything I've
done since we met, including this website.
He reminds me over and over where to find
the pictures I need--either online or from
among those we've taken--and how to get it
all to go together.
He even did the PowerPoint presentation at
my class at the Pepperdine Lectures. The
thing is, he isn't a Christian. Hasn't been for
years. "But you can't come to my class," I told
him. "You don't believe."
"But you need the help," he said. He drove
me to Malibu, ran the PowerPoint, and
slipped me notes to tell me when I was
running out of time. And he's helped me
since, through this recent illness. ACU didn't
have a clue of what was good for me.
done since we met, including this website.
He reminds me over and over where to find
the pictures I need--either online or from
among those we've taken--and how to get it
all to go together.
He even did the PowerPoint presentation at
my class at the Pepperdine Lectures. The
thing is, he isn't a Christian. Hasn't been for
years. "But you can't come to my class," I told
him. "You don't believe."
"But you need the help," he said. He drove
me to Malibu, ran the PowerPoint, and
slipped me notes to tell me when I was
running out of time. And he's helped me
since, through this recent illness. ACU didn't
have a clue of what was good for me.
Our family (above), Frank, me,
Katyana, Kathy and Robert, with
the Mansfield Chamber Singers
and their director, Ken Wells
(right, behind Robert), singing
"Sloop John B" at our 50th
anniversary at the Culver Palms
Church of Christ August 25,
2013. Kay Burton Nagel (right), a
friend from ACU, with Frank and
me at our anniversary.
Katyana, Kathy and Robert, with
the Mansfield Chamber Singers
and their director, Ken Wells
(right, behind Robert), singing
"Sloop John B" at our 50th
anniversary at the Culver Palms
Church of Christ August 25,
2013. Kay Burton Nagel (right), a
friend from ACU, with Frank and
me at our anniversary.
