Sandra Bean of Brazos Texas, was in the eighth grade when she caught the eye of handsome Santo High School basketball player, Ronald Edwards. About two years later, in 1955, they would wed at ages 15 1/2 and 18.
On May 19 , they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.
Recently, it was my honor to visit with them and talk about their seven decades together. Ronald began by telling me he was born on a farm in Patillo (south of Santo just off of FM4). He went to school in Santo.
Sandy was born in Brazos (east of Santo), also going to school in Santo. And the rest? Yep, history.
The happy couple planned to get married on May 19 so on the 18th they ventured into downtown Mineral Wells, their moms in tow to sign for them, to purchase the marriage license at Barnett’s Jewelers.
Before they could get back to Santo, a cloud came up. Sandy said, “It was the blackest cloud I ever saw!”
Downtown Santo was flooded. Ronald decided he could drive through a low spot in town. Of course, Sandy told him he would “drown out.” He said, “It’ll go down in a minute.”
Sandy said, “I’m getting out!” They did and waded waist waist-high water to get to higher ground. They tried the tractor to go get the car, but it wouldn’t start. By the time they got back to where they had left the car it was washed away.
I asked if they felt like maybe that was a bad omen. They said, “No.”
Wedding day came and Santo was flooded! Ronald and Sandy would not be deterred! They made it to Mineral Wells and were married by Rev. Cleburn Martin at the Southside Church of Christ on SE Sixth Avenue.
Ronald says they moved 13 times in their first threee years, including a two-week stint in Fort Worth, then multiple times in Santo. They moved into Ronald’s grandparents’ house in 1958 and have been there ever since. By the way, that house was built with lumber from Thurber.
I asked what events of the last 70 years made an impression on them. Sandy answered, “When the president got killed”, referring to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Ronald said going from one phone in all of Santo to having a cell phone and getting a text from Washington state!
The Edwards’s were blessed with five children who gave them 13 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and recently added a great-great-grandchild, making five generations and that is rare.
God has blessed the Edwards all these 70 years. May that continue for many years to come.
