Senior living community Legacy Oaks of Midlothian is celebrating the married life of the Walkers, who have been together for 64 years.
Monte Lynn Walker and Mary Elizabeth Walker were married Feb. 16, 1958, just a couple of days after Valentine’s Day. She is from Carmi, Illinois, and he is from Nocona, Texas. Mary graduated from high school, then worked for a family-owned telephone company operating the switchboard. Monte became a purchasing agent and manager for several companies.
How did they meet? At the drive-in, of course. Elizabeth borrowed her stepfather’s pickup one night and went with her friend to a drive-in to get a soda and fries. The two saw Elizabeth’s sister’s boyfriend’s car pull in. Suddenly, another guy appeared out of nowhere and jumped into the car. Intrigued, Elizabeth decided to go over, see her sister, and meet the gentleman.
The gentleman, Monte, chatted with Elizabeth for a while and got to know her. The next day, Monte called Elizabeth and asked her out on a date. They went to a drive-in movie theater. A month or two later, Monte gave Elizabeth an engagement ring during Christmas. They were married the following year.
Monte and Elizabeth have two boys: James Hoben Walker, who passed last December. Their younger son is John Wesley Walker. The family lived in several places – Nokona, Wichita Falls, Abilene, and Duncanville – before settling in Midlothian.
Asked what made them a good match, Elizabeth said they never argued much.
“If Monte got mad, he went for a walk,” she said. “If I got mad, I banged pots and pans in the kitchen. We never went to bed mad. We always kissed and said, ‘I love you.’ ”
“I can’t even begin to imagine how incredibly lucky they are to spend practically an entire lifetime with their best friend,” said Melissa Seymore, memory care coordinator for the facility.
“Monte and Elizabeth are a beautiful couple,” said Sheila Dasch, assisted living coordinator. “They are active participants in most of the activities and they always have an encouraging word for their neighbors and staff members.”
Legacy Oaks is located at 614 S 14th St. Midlothian, TX 76065. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3iMzp8D.