At the age of 19, Mary spent her days working at an air base as a hostess at the Airman’s Club in Little Rock, Arkansas. She had a boyfriend at the time, but each shift they were allowed to dance with an airman three times.

“I took my best friend with me and while I was dancing and working, she was getting acquainted with my boyfriend. And they decided they wanted to go out, so they arranged for this blind date with Jerry.”

“Well, I made up my mind. I was going to make the whole night miserable for all three of them.”

While Mary thought that she would spend the night sad and angry, she instead spent the night watching Goldfinger, and learning about the man she would soon marry.

Jerry grew up in Hartford City. He joined the United States Air Force in 1963. He started out as an Air Policeman in Security, but was later chosen from 340 men to be cross-trained to administration. And on December 26, 1964, he fell in love with a hostess from Arkansas.

The two started dating and soon decided that they would get married the following October, barely ten months after their first date.

“For me, it was love at first sight,” Jerry said.

However, a week before their wedding, Jerry received orders to go overseas to Thailand for a year. They decided to go ahead with their wedding. It was held in Little Rock, the same place where just two months later, at noon on Christmas Day 1965, they would be separated for the first time since meeting.

“I was in uniform when I got on the bus to leave, and a tear started coming to my eye when I waved bye,” Jerry said. “This little boy was watching me and I had to turn my head. I didn’t want that little boy to think that an Airman First Class would be crying.”

“It was awful,” Mary added. “I didn’t know what he was going into. I had already lost several classmates in the Vietnam war… I waited on pins and needles for letters.”

For the next year the couple sent letters and made plans for their future – where they may live and when they would start a family. Jerry sent gifts, which Mary of course kept, and proudly showed off in her living room the afternoon I interviewed them.

He sent her two dresses made from Thailand silk clothing. One was a traditional dress – red with Thai flowers, a collar and buttons down the whole front. The other was a navy blue one.

“He had it handmade for me, and it fit just perfectly,” Mary said.

This is how their relationship progressed for the next year. Letters, gifts, eagerness, hope and love kept their new marriage strong. The next December, Mary’s dad picked her up and took her to the airport where she would soon be reunited with her airman.

“I was so nervous, I threw up,” Mary said, laughing.

 As soon as Jerry’s bus pulled up and the doors opened, they ran to each other.

When asked what that moment was like, seeing each other for the first time in a year, all Mary could say was, “unbelievable.” 

Jerry was discharged from the service as soon as he entered the United States again. His four years were up. He soon convinced Mary to move back to Hartford City where they later raised three kids: Cynthia, Christopher and Tracy. The rest, they say, is history.

Thank you for your service, Jerry. And Mary, thank you for your love.

The post Fords Relive Vietnam-era Love Story appeared first on Positively Blackford.

Several months ago, people in Hartford City were wondering what, if anything,  was going to replace the old gas station that stood at the corner of Highways 3 and 26. Rumors abounded.  Some believed the preschool playground was going to be placed there!  (Very unsafe.) Others thought a new gas station was going to be built there! (Don’t we have enough of those on that corner?) All kinds of rumors floated around town. As it turned out, the rumors were untrue.

Here’s the real story:

As a congregation, folks at Grace United Methodist Church  were looking to the needs of our community. The preschool playground was relocated to a safer and more convenient area of the church campus.  It was very obvious that a full-day preschool was needed for children of working parents.  Accreditation was sought, facilities were upgraded and approved for a voucher system, hours were extended, and what had always been known as the Helen Lieber Preschool became the Helen Lieber Early Learning Academy, a sanctuary for working families and a big win for our community! 

The corner where the gas station stood is now a green space called ‘Sanctuary Park.’  Before the current Grace Church was built sometime in the 1920’s, the original building stood right on the corner. 

“I was surprised to learn that the old service station was sitting in the same place as the previous location of Grace, and when I saw a photo of that venerable old building, I realized the sanctuary pretty much covered the entire lot,” Pastor Ron Branson explains. “As we began talking about removing the building, I often referenced it as the site of our former sanctuary . . . once it was gone, it just seemed natural to call it Santuary Park.”

The church is a sanctuary for those who need a refuge from our unforgiving world; thus the name ‘Sanctuary Park’ takes on a new layer of meaning. Grass has been planted. Plans for future improvement of this space include landscaping and perhaps some benches where people who need some quiet in their lives can enjoy a bit of nature sanctuary. It is hoped that it will become a welcoming corner for those who are passing through or just visiting. Another win for our community!

Chris Jennerjahn, chair of the finance committee at Grace UMC, emphasized the importance of this project.

“Grace purchased the old gas station property a few year back and recognized that its location borders the busiest intersection in the county,” Jennerjahn says. “We recognized that, just like everyone else in the community, we have a responsibility to help improve our community. Eliminating an eyesore by removing the older gas station at such an important intersection was a proper way to contribute and a good first step. We are hopeful we will be able to raise additional funds to further improve the appearance of this critical location.”

Some positive things have been happening in the sanctuary of Grace Church as well. The chancel has been remodeled in order to be more accessible to modern church and other services.  A new grand piano has been purchased, making the space useful for many types of musical programs. Hope House is a service that is held every Sunday evening for those in addiction recovery. Prior to each service, a meal is served. The folks who attend this service are very valuable to our community with their renewed enthusiasm for life. We want to offer them a sanctuary with a purpose.  

Sanctuary is important to all of us. We all need to feel safe and to rest in some quiet time amidst the noise and chaos of the world. 

Grace is working to make that peace available to the community.

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