Ironton couple has been married for 65 years

When Calvin Waller first saw his wife Rosemary, he said it was love at first sight.

“One day, I was with some guys going to football practice. I saw her and I said, ‘Hey, guys, see that girl? I’m going to marry her,’ he said, recounting when he saw her while the two were attending Dawson-Bryant High School.

The two were married on Dec. 23, 1950, and, last month, they celebrated their 65th anniversary at Jo-Lin Health Center in Ironton, where they both reside.

Family, nurses and aides at the senior living community hosted a party to help the couple mark the milestone.

The two are natives of Lawrence County, having lived in Ironton, Coal Grove, Forestdale and Deering.

Calvin served four years in the United States Air Force at Bowling Air Force base in Washington, D.C., where he said he had a great view of the Capitol from where he resided.

He said officials saw his football record from high school, and immediately got him to play for Bowling.

The couple moved to North Carolina for two years, where Calvin was a Baptist preacher. He worked for 23 years at the Solvay Coke plant, and the couple ran Time-Out Pizza in Coal Grove.

They have four children – Brenda, Patty, Donna and Gina, as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

“Every time I think of all of these years, it kind of breaks me down,” Calvin said. “She’s been the most wonderful wife. My love for her is God-given. Her love for me is God-given.”