In September, 1925, Pearl, a young Georgia born teacher, headed for her first teaching position in a small town in South Carolina. She was just 18 years old.
She stayed at a local boarding house. The meals were served family style in the dining room. She met the other boarders at supper the first night.
Among them was a young postal worker named Horace. He had grown up on a farm out in the country, but had relocated to town after he started working for the post office.
In those first months, they dated other people. But as winter turned into spring, Horace could not stop thinking about Pearl.
He wasn’t sure she would be interested in him. She always seemed busy. If she wasn’t going somewhere, she was absorbed in grading papers. And so many people were at the boarding house, having a private conversation was impossible.
So Horace went to the post office and called the boarding house and asked for Pearl. He asked her if she would go for a Sunday afternoon ride with him in his Ford Roadster. She agreed, if he would help her grade papers when they got back. He agreed.
They went for a ride. He helped her grade papers. And the rest, as they say, is history.
As spring came to a close, Horace found a private corner in that boarding house and asked Pearl to marry him. She said yes, but to be proper, they knew they needed her father’s blessing.
So they took the train to her Georgia home and Horace asked if he could have the eldest daughter of the family’s hand in marriage. Pearl’s father said he thought they were a little young, but he gave his blessing.
And speaking of “proper,” my father enjoyed telling everyone they had “lived together for nine months” and then decided to get married. In 1926 and all the years that followed, this sounded very improper to my mother, and she always hastened to tell the full story, while my father laughed.
On June 27, 1926, Pearl and Horace were married in the parlor of her Georgia home by the family minister. It was a simple wedding, but one whose union would prove to be just the beginning of a love story that would last 71 earth years and unlimited years in Glory.
In the century that has passed, Pearl and Horace’s family has expanded further than they could have ever imagined.
They were married for ten years before their first child was born. Then another eleven years passed before their second child was born. Twelve years later their first grandchild was born.
The grand tally now is two children, four grandchildren, ten great grandchildren, four great, great grandchildren with another one due in July.
Additionally there were daughters in laws, sons in laws and step children. Pearl and Horace never saw “in laws” or “steps.” If you were brought into the family, you were family and that was that.
While Pearl and Horace stayed close to their roots their whole life, those who came after them lived diverse lives that reflected a worldwide influence. Three family members actually grew up in other countries.
I share this today as once again I am amazed at what effect one or two choices can have on a world now and in the world to come. That should give us all pause about the decisions we make.
Today I am happy to be remembering my parents, Pearl and Horace Priester who made a wonderful choice 100 years ago today. Happy Anniversary, Mother and Daddy! 💖💞💖
