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A good friend during my school days, his name was Harold Phillips, he was a
cousin. His Mother was a sister to the mother of Retha.
We both ended up in the Navy during WW-2 and we met in Shoemaker California.
We was there awaiting assignment to a ship. We was together for a few days and he told me about Retha and gave me her address.
Harold and I were assigned separate ships and parted company. We never met again until the war was over.
After I was assigned my ship, I decided to write Retha. I wrote but never got a answer for a while. Then she sent me a holiday card, I responded by
writing her again and got a letter back from her. We ended up writing the rest of the war. After I was discharged and went home I contacted her and ask if
I could come and see her. Her answer was “May as well get it over with”. So off to Oneida I came. She was riding a bicycle in her yard. I said are you
Retha, she said yes if you are Johnny.
I ask about a hotel, But her mother, Julie, told me I was welcome to stay with them for she knew of my family and that was one reason we was always good
friends. But the main reason was her daughter named Retha. That evening we was setting on the couch in the living room the rest of the family was off in
another room. I told her to close her eyes, she did but before I could get puckered up she opened them again, We did the FIRST KISS anyway.
I think it was the second visit we drove down the highway and parked and I said to her “Do you want to get married? She said yes. And as we drove toward
her home I said do you really want to get married? Again she said yes.
Next visit we got her sister Lourene and went to Pineville Ky as we could get a
blood test in 2 hours so we was married March 30 1946. We went to Cincinnati for a short time and went to Oneida. She had a girl baby we named
Gereda Faye but she only lived one day and died, of course we was broken hearted.
As time went by we had another baby Girl. We named her Linda Gail She was a Daddy's girl and She learned to shoot, drive a car in my lap and water ski.
We later moved across the road from Jake Jeffers. He was a preacher. We went to Church with him and he led Retha to Christ. I belonged to another Church but
we went to Pentecost Baptist Church and was active there. Later we went to Glenwood where we remained.
Linda Gail got married To a good man, Mike Garrett, now retired from the Railroad. They had a girl, named her Julie. And a boy was John. Julie married Myke Baird,
a good man and now a bank manager. They have two pretty girls Alayna in school and in the band she is a trumpet player. Carys in school and band also. She
toots a sax. John married a pretty lady, Amy. They have a pretty little girl named Ava. She is in school and doing well. John owns a automobile repair shop.
Retha and I moved to Powell. a job related transfer, in 1973. We enjoyed life here for many years, did a lot of traveling but the last few years Retha
developed a lot of health problems. She would loose her balance and fell several times. The last fall caused bleeding in her brain and she spent about
six weeks in the hospital. While there she developed pneumonia. She was released from rehab Dec 29, 2015 and got to stay home about one month, Linda and
I had to take care of her like she was a baby during the time she was at home. Then one day Linda Gail came and told me there was something wrong. Mama could
not talk or respond. I called the home health nurse and she said to get her to E R . She had brain surgery for bleeding and they said a stroke. The doctor
said you will not ever take her home. She was transferred to Hospice where she Passed away Feb 14 2016.
She was taken to Oneida to be buried by our baby in Carson Memorial Cemetery. Funeral was by 4 oaks funeral home, The music was by Joyce Shupe and Service By Rev. James Laxton.
As we filed by with many friends for the last viewing, She lay in her blue Casket, she always loved blue and she was in a blue suit when we was
married. I bent over and gave her THE LAST KISS. Started to go and at that moment I lost it and I knew that was the last kiss, I had lost part of me. I was
alone and in the first book of the Bible it speaks, It is not good for man to be alone.
Now Christmas is coming up soon. She will be spending it with Dad, Mom, Brothers and best of all Jesus and she can say Happy Birthday to you even to him !
My darling I love you and miss you !
John
