What to do after high school...

Martha and Gene in 1951

Back to my story, this young man's name was Gene Franklin.  From that Sunday on we started dating twice a week  One Thursday he didn't come and I didn't hear from him.  I was ready to leave Saturday night but he arrived before I left. He explained that he had been sick, so I understood.

I was thrilled to be graduating high school in May of 1951, but I did not know what I was going to do after high school. I thought about going into nursing or taking a business course.  I had an aunt and uncle in West Virginia.  They came to visit us and as they started to head home,  they invited me to visit them. I visited them for a few weeks that summer. I seems that  Gene must have worried about whether I would come back. My aunt and uncle even offered to send me to business school if I stayed in West Virginia. But  I went back home and Gene was there that weekend  and asked me to marry him. He even had a ring with him. Of course, I said, "Yes!"  We started double dating with a couple from my church,  Doris Howell ( our pastor's daughter) and J. D. Earley.  Since we were both engaged, we decided to have a double wedding at our  church.  The wedding took place on Saturday, December 22 1951, at 6 PM.