Just before Valentine's Day, couples share stories

A nurse and ward clerk find love at the hospital

Thomas and Carolyn Bailey

Thomas Bailey and Carolyn Harmon first became acquainted at Rutherford Hospital in 1971 when the young couple was working there. Carolyn was a nursing assistant and Thomas was a ward clerk. They are Rutherford County natives.

Right after high school Carolyn began school at Cleveland Technical Institute where she studied nursing and became a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) at Rutherford where she would stay until her retirement.

Thomas joined the Army after high school and was a Combat Medic in the Vietnam War in 1968-69.

When he came home he went to work at the hospital. Some of the couple's co-workers thought they would make a good couple and introduced them. Sure enough, they began dating.

Carolyn remembers all too well a date with Thomas in 1971 when they were "kissing" and Thomas' car windows fogged up. Right then and there in the heat of the moment Carolyn said she told Thomas, 'Nobody is going to have either me or you, so we might as well get married."

Whether it was a bonafide wedding proposal or not, on August 5, 1972 the couple was married at Concord Baptist Church and honeymooned in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

"I knew he was a hard worker. I knew he had taken care of his mother when she was sick," Carolyn began.

In fact before Carolyn met Thomas, she had helped take care of his mother.

"We also both love gospel music, country music and we like to travel," Carolyn said.

The couple didn't have children but are proud of the 'four-legged" pets they had during their married life. Their dogs were Angel, Red Rover and Dewey. Today they have a tabby cat, Kitty May.

"We're not disappointed God didn't send children our way," Carolyn said, however, they adopted two children through faith-based organizations around the world and through the years supported the children financially and through cards and letters.

They adopted Marie from Africa in 2009 when she was 11 years old. Later they adopted a 15-year-old boy from Haiti. Though at a distance, they prayed for them and spoke of them often. They were their children, too.

When the couple wasn't on the job, Carolyn was a Brownie Troop leader in Rutherfordton.

"He was my assistant," she said pointing to Thomas. He was the official bus and van driver taking the scouts to camp.

"We needed each other" and are a good fit," Carolyn continued.

Carolyn read from Genesis in the Bible where God made man and then made him a helper.

From the Book of Proverbs 31, she read, "She will do him good, not evil"

That couple have had a successful marriage based on their faith in God.

Once while stringing green beans at her mother's house, Carolyn said her mother told Thomas, "You gotta keep her, don't bring her back."

"She was always full of surprises," Thomas said.

Everyone who knows the couple knows Carolyn is the talker in the family.

"Sometime I can't get a word in edgewise," he said.

The couple worked together at Rutherford Hospital until they retired and they always worked the same shift, usually 3:30pm to11:30pm. Carolyn had 49 1/2 years at the hospital and Thomas, 45 years. Since retirement they've enjoyed traveling as much as possible.

They've done mission trips, including one to Jamaica, and several others. They enjoy traveling with Toney Tours and even during they years they worked they took time for vacations.

The couple can be found at the Rutherford County Senior Center where they have lunch every day.

Thomas cooks breakfast at home for Carolyn and after a big lunch at the senior center, they have a snack supper.

When there were fusses during the years, Thomas said the couple always worked them out because of their commitment and their faith in God.

One of the themes of their marriage comes from an Amish proverb, "A house is made of walls and beams; a home is made of love and dreams."

Their parents were Hamlet and Mildred Harmon and Thomas' parents were Charlie and Nancy Bailey.

A barber and an educator married, together nearly 54 years; they had a good foundation

James and Tinnie Dawkins

James Dawkins and Tinnie Hooker Dawkins will celebrate 54 years of marriage in July.

James, 85, and Tinnie, 83, dated at least six years before walking down the aisle in her home church in Sanford, North Carolina, in 1968 to pledge their love to each other.

The couple met in Spindale where Tinnie began her teaching career in 1961 at Carver High School.

Tinnie's friend was dating James' brother, Dudley Dawkins, and they were introduced.

James spent a few years in the Air Force before coming back home to Rutherford County. After marrying, the couple moved to New Jersey where James was a cook in a restaurant. He later went to barber school in Philadelphia where the couple lived for a while. When Tinnie got a job at East Rutherford High School during that time, she returned to Rutherford County where she remained at East until her retirement.

After graduating from barber school, James joined his wife back in Rutherford County. He spent his barber career in Spartanburg. He retired last year.

While Tinnie was teaching school at East Rutherford, James commuted for his Monday-Saturday job.

"We learned you can't do this on your own," James said.

It is the blessings of God and their faith in God that has brought them to where they are today, James said.

Their first child was born in 1969. The couple raised three daughters and one son and put all four through college. Two daughters have doctorate degrees and are educators. Another daughter is in the medical field in Winston-Salem and their son works in prison ministry for the US Government.

While James was working long hours away from home, Tinnie also worked full-time and took care of the family and home. James gives June the credit for raising their children to be good people.

"I tried to raise them to keep their mind on positive things," she said.

She was also the one who took them to all extra curricular activities, Girl Scouts and sports.

"I would be grading papers while sitting in the car at a ballgame," she said.

When James wasn't working, there was always family togetherness in the evenings and on Sundays.

They attend New Bethel Independent Church in Forest City. While the children were home the family took vacations, either camping or staying in motels.

"We've been a lot of places and seen a lot of things," James said.

They are also close to their five grandchildren and see them as often as possible.

"There is a lot of togetherness," James said, especially since retirement.

Two weeks ago James started going to the Senior Center and fell in love with the place and people. He enjoys having lunch there and getting to know people and making new friends.

Tinnie works out at Lifestyles gym and is considering going with James to the Center.

"We've got a good foundation. You can build a house, but without a belief in God and His love you can only go so far," James said.

"You have to have faith and you have to know when it is time to marry," he said. "There's a lot more things to marriage than you think," he added.

Although the couple lived in big cities, James asked Tinnie when they married where she wanted to live. She told her husband she would go wherever "he wanted to call home."

After leaving Philadelphia, they moved back to North Carolina and made Rutherford County their home.

For Valentine's they plan to go to dinner at Texas Roadhouse in Spartanburg.

Not even a new car or paid college bills could keep them from marrying

Ricky and June Green

When teenagers Ricky Green and June Hawkins traveled to Gaffney, South Carolina on May 2, 1969, to get married, their parents made the trip with them and offered support.

However, had their respective parents gotten their way, 19-year-old Ricky and 18-year-old June would have waited a few years before getting married.

"They bribed us," June said. Her parents Ronnie and Linda Hawkins offered her a brand new car of her choice if she'd wait. Ricky's parents, Dwight and Peg Green, offered to pay his way through college.

"I didn't need a car, I had my brother's car," June said. Ricky went to Isothermal Community College and stayed home.

Since the two teens were in love and didn't want to wait they were married on a Thursday afternoon, returned back home so June could return to school at Chase High School where she would later graduate on May 28. Ricky, an East Rutherford graduate, was employed at GF Industries.

After a weekend honeymoon to Myrtle Beach, the couple lived with her parents in Sandy Mush while she finished school and he worked.

Ricky and June met when she was 16 years old. Her brother was in the military so she drove his car to visit her sister-in-law, a neighbor of Ricky's family.

Ricky was cutting the grass one day when he saw June. After getting her telephone number from a family member, "Well the rest is history" Ricky said.

Their first date was to Chesnee to buy fireworks on Halloween evening.

Following their wedding in Gaffney, the couple's parents hosted a reception at Gardo's.

It wasn't long after they were married they began to have children, "right off the bat," she said.

On May 9, 1970, they welcomed their first daughter April (Yelton), then Crystal (Penson) and finally Lynn (Brooks).

From their daughters and sons-in-law came their six grandchildren -- four boys and two girls.

"We see them and we enjoy them," said Ricky.

In fact, the couple say their marriage has remained strong all these years because of togetherness.

All holidays are spent together and the families also go camping together.

When the girls were small, Ricky and June didn't go anywhere without their girls.

"If they couldn't go, we didn't go," Ricky said.

Ricky did admit, he is not a shopper and has never gone with June and the girls on their annual Black Friday shopping days.

For Easter the families go to the beach where one of their daughters organizes and directs an Easter sunrise service on the beach for the whole family.

"Christmas Eve and Christmas Day we are all together," June said.

It was also a Halloween tradition when the girls were still at home before going trick-or-treating to have spaghetti. That is still a tradition.

"He is my rock" June said of her husband. "If I'm down, we're there together. He is my everything," she said.

Ricky battled prostate cancer a few years ago and at times he wanted to stop treatments but June was there to encourage him to go on. Today he is cancer free.

They also credit the Rutherford County Senior Center for uplifting them in a dark time in their marriage when June was depressed due to the unexpected death of her brother and five months later the death of her mother.

Ricky was concerned about June's mental state and he suggested they go to the Rutherford County Senior Center.

"Do you know what she said? " Ricky asked.

"I'm not going there with the old people," June responded.

They went to the center in January 2017 and their lives changed.

"It was a good day," June said.

"Spending time together with these people helps," Ricky said. "This is our life."

They became involved in the lives of people there, made a lot of new friends and became regular volunteers.

Both help serve the meals every day and participant in the Senior Games. They are Ambassadors for the Senior Games.

"We sit here and listen to one another and to each other's problems," Ricky said of their friends.

COVID-19 put a damper on them being together at the center but they took the opportunity to come by the drive-thru line to pick up lunch.

They still enjoy vacationing with their family, often camping as they did when the girls were young, After the children were born the couple began a tradition of taking them to Disney World every other year.

They enjoy camping, hiking and walking. Last year, Ricky registered 500 miles and June walked 300 miles.

For their 50th anniversary the Greens traveled 8,000 miles across the country, visiting a lot of places along the 30 day trip that also included a stop at Disneyland.

They thank God for sustaining them all these years and say God is the reason they are still together with their family.

They are members of Concord Baptist Church and are active there. They will attend the annual Valentine's Day dinner but if looking for them at lunch time, they'll be at the Rutherford County Senior Center - home away from home.