Thursday, February 13, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

VALENTINE'S DAY: Love Struck

Readers tell their tales of romance with humor, poignancy

Dick and Marilyn Boyer, shown at the Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort, met and fell in love more than 40 years ago while skiing in Brighton, Utah. Photo by Amy Beth Bennett.

Dick Boyer literally fell for his wife-to-be Marilyn, while Nyla June Anderson discovered that standing in line at Disneyland can lead to lasting love.

These are just a couple of the stories readers shared when we asked you to send us an essay about how you met the love of your life.

We received 82 responses in all. The stories ranged from heartwarming to downright funny.

While each one had its own special quality, the winning essay was submitted by Henderson's Marilyn Boyer. She and husband Dick will receive a two-pound box of chocolates from Ethel M for the story of their first encounter in 1959 on the snowy slopes of Mount Majestic in Utah.

Here's her essay:

As a young college student, I decided one school day that classes weren't as important as the fresh powder on the slopes at a Brighton, Utah, ski resort. My friend and I decided to take advantage of this winter wonderland day and head to the slopes.

It was a magnificent day. The sun was shining and ideal conditions abounded.

Many runs later on Mount Majestic and exhausted, my friend sat in the lodge while I eked out one more fabulous run. As I exited the ski lift on the top of the mountain, I noticed a skier preparing to take the face of this imposing run. I watched in horror. His skiing skills were not sufficient for this venture. Sure enough, he lost control and plummeted to the bottom in a big ball of fresh powder snow. I skied down to where he had landed. His face and body were buried. I kneeled over him, asking, "Are you all right?"

Slowly, so slowly, he turned over and gazed up at my face and said, "Oh, heaven! I made it. I'm in heaven."

Instantly, my heart was smitten.

Today, 43 years later, my glib and urbane husband still surprises me with sweet utterances that melt my heart.

"I can still remember what she was wearing, a powder blue parka. I looked up and the sun was there, the sky was blue, she had blond hair and beautiful eyes and I said it. It's the best line I've ever had in my entire life," Dick, 63, laughingly recalled in an interview.

After that late December day, Marilyn was hooked. And it wasn't long before Dick knew she was the woman he wanted to marry.

"It was the first date. I pulled up to pick her up, she was playing the piano and singing, and I didn't know who was singing. I just heard this beautiful voice. It was kind of neat," Dick said.

More than four decades later, after three children, a divorce and their remarriage, the Boyers agreed they are happier than ever.

"We were married 22 years, divorced for 10 years and now we've been married 11 years again," said Marilyn, 61. They moved to Las Vegas from Utah in 1990.

The divorce was a minor bump in the road; Dick called it a "10-year night pass."

"I think we needed it," Marilyn said. "We married when we were young. We grew up a lot, learned a lot in 10 years."

They hardly saw each other during that time, and it took a wedding to get them together again.

A friend of their youngest daughter was getting married and Marilyn was dateless. So, too, was Dick. They attended together, after encouragement from their daughter, and the rest is history.

"We had one drink and one dance and that was it," Dick said.

Here are the finalists:

It was May 1968, and my 12-year-old son and I were in a long line at Disneyland, waiting to get on a ride. The man in front of us greeted us with a smile, saying: "Hi, I'm Don Anderson! Is this your first time here?" We soon found out that he was a zoo director in Lufkin, Texas, and was in California to pick up a snake.

We ended up spending the day with this charming man, who was so much fun. A few weeks later, I flew to Texas to see my grandmother, who was ill. I visited Don at the Ellen Trout Zoo in Lufkin. I milked a rattlesnake and a monkey died in my arms on the way to the vet!

Somehow, we never saw each other again, but I never forgot him. Then, 32 years later, out of the blue he called me! We were married on May 13, 2001, at ages 73 and 74 and are very much in love and happy to be together after all these years!

-- Nyla June Anderson

I never truly believed in love at first sight until I met Jack.

I was late for my new job and my gas tank was on empty. Because the owner of the gas station near my home had caused me grief regarding the repairs on my car, I swore I would never go back to that station again. However, I was truly desperate and turned into the station for gas. While daydreaming, I was suddenly brought back to reality with a jolt when I heard a cheery, "Good morning, how may I help you?" I looked up to see this dreamy looking young fellow (green eyes, blond hair) smiling at me. I was a goner! His name was Jack and he was the new owner of the station. It was love at first sight. We actually didn't start dating for several months, because Jack was working "bell to bell" to get his business going. Well, 31 years later, we're still together, the parents of twin boys and living in Vegas. I still kid Jack to this day by telling him I married him because "he was in OIL." How's that for a love story?

-- Adrienne Cronshaw

In 1969, I came back from Vietnam for 30 days' leave to recover from injuries. During that time, an old buddy and his wife introduced me to her sister. They thought this would be a great joke since Libby and I were so different. I was a bit of a "hell-raiser" and she was very prim and proper. Libby had spent the first 18 years of her life sharing a room with her grandmother, who was the widow of a Methodist minister.

We did not hit it off well. On our "arranged" date, she didn't talk much. Neither of us had a very good time. I saw her again that September. She began corresponding with me from her college in North Carolina while I was stationed in New York. In February of 1970, Libby came to visit me and during this visit I proposed. From the time we met to my proposal, we had only seen each other for a total of six days.

Everyone who knew us was betting the marriage wouldn't last. We are still married and happy almost 33 years later. We were so different in 1969 and are so much the same now.

-- William F. Hoover

My husband and I first met in high school more than 20 years ago. I was a sophomore and he was a senior. Chris played football with my brother. There was something about Chris that caught my eye. I'm not really sure what, but I knew someday I was going to marry him.

After Chris graduated in 1981, he moved away to California.

It wasn't until 1 1/2 years ago that we got in contact with each other. Actually, it was Chris who found me through Classmates.com back in October 2000. I was living in Reno and in the middle of a divorce.

We both moved back to Las Vegas within a month of each other and began dating. In October 2001, Chris underwent his third brain surgery to have his VP shunt replaced for the second time. Aug. 6, 2002, he had a heart attack. The doctors lost him (and brought him back) seven times. On Aug. 10, I proposed to him.

Sept. 9, we were married at Sunset Park under the great big tree between the office and playground. Our birthdays are a day apart from each other's. Mine is Feb. 20 and his is (Feb.) 21. I love this man so very much. He is so much more than any woman could ask for in a man. He's gentle, caring, supportive. He's been my rock through some pretty tough times.

-- Amy Pettit-Brown