By Emily Etheredge
Love can often be portrayed in many different ways, such as a listening ear, a kind gesture, or an affectionate hug.
As Valentine’s Day approaches, two couples living in Chilton County who married 57 years apart tell their love stories of what marriage has meant to them.
Although each couple has their own unique love story, both couples have similarities that span several decades of time on how each other met, both being introduced to one another by a friend or relative, each having faith at the center of their relationships and both sharing the simple fact they are married to their best friend.
Buddy and Othella
“She was as cute as a bug and I knew right when I met her that I was going to marry her,” Buddy Johnson said about first meeting his wife, Othella.
After a friend suggested Buddy might enjoy talking to Othella, he decided to give her a call on the telephone and started a six-month period of talking over the phone before meeting.
“I was 16 when Buddy (who was 20) called me on the telephone and it took six months of talking over the phone before I agreed to go out with him on a date,” Othella said. “We lived about 12 miles apart but he was in college at the time and I was still in high school so we talked on the phone but didn’t agree to meet until six months later.”
Even after the two talked for over six months, Othella was still hesitant about going on a date with Buddy and convinced a girlfriend to double date with her so she wouldn’t have to go on the date by herself.
Othella suggested Buddy find a friend to bring so they could have a double date that would be less intimidating than spending time alone.
“Girls kind of intimidated me when I was younger but when I met Othella, I told my friend that I had just met the girl I was going to marry,” Buddy said. “There was something about her that made me feel comfortable and I enjoyed talking to her.”
The two decided to double date at a drive-in and scheduled the date for a night that happened to be Buddy’s birthday.
“Our first date was the best birthday present I ever got,” Buddy said.
The two dated for a year and a half and soon became engaged but wanted to wait until Othella finished high school.
On June 17, 1955, at Othella’s aunt and uncle’s home in Pinson, the two were married before family and friends.
“I was a blessed barely 17-year-old,” Othella said. “The wedding was a blur but we had a wonderful time.”
The two moved to Roebuck Gardens where Buddy had a brick house built for the two to live in.
After being married and living in the home for five years, Buddy was drafted during the Korean War. This forced the two to move to Washington where they rented their home out, returned after the war and moved to Crestwood where the two lived for 30 years.
Both worked at the family business, F C Johnson Electric Company in Birmingham where Buddy bought the business from his dad in 1967.
Othella worked as the secretary for the business and Buddy described Othella as “perfect” due to her patience being involved in the business.
“There were a lot of times Othella would come home and find a thermostat missing from our home because a customer needed one and I would just take ours away to give to them,” Buddy said. “She was always very patient because she understood that our customers came first.”
After operating the electrical business for more than 40 years, the two decided to retire and let their only son Randall run the business while they moved to Clanton.
“Buddy’s mother lived in Clanton where we visited one day and just fell in love with the area,” Othella said. “We bought a farm and had animals for many years until the stockyard closed and we decided to get rid of our animals.”
Although both agree they do not miss the fast-paced lifestyle they had while living in the city, they stay busy being involved in their church, the Gideon’s ministry and traveling whenever they have the opportunity to a vacation spot they have in Foley.
The two also spend time with their three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren as much as they can and enjoy the little moments they have with them.
Both admit marriage has been a lot of fun attributing the fact they get along with each other and don’t try to intentionally hurt one another as well as recognizing God has helped their marriage be a success.
“God is love,” Othella said. “If you don’t know God, you can’t love.”
Othella also admits that submission is an important characteristic she learned when first married.
“Anything with two heads is a monster,” Othella said. “I knew Buddy was the head of our marriage. There would be times I would say something and he would give me a certain look where I knew it was time to shut-up.”
Buddy said he has always listened to Othella and considers every day to be his favorite memory.
“Where she is, is where I want to be,” Buddy said. “She is my best friend and I genuinely enjoy her.”
Both celebrate Valentine’s Day each year with something small to show their love for one another.
“When we were first married Buddy never gave me flowers” Othella said. “Now, he always brings me some sort of flowers to put near my kitchen sink and I always have a flower or something that he has brought me to put there.”
The two agree life with one another has been a blessing and a special gift in the fact that both genuinely enjoy being around the other person.
“She is easy to live with and overall a sweet person,” Buddy said. “We laugh a lot together and just enjoy being with one another,” Othella said. “You need to be able to laugh and have a good time with each other. That is a very important thing to remember.”