Corinthians 13:13
"But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love."
Valentine’s Day was one of my Grandmother Lois’ favorite holidays. She always mailed us cards and sometimes small gifts as children and adults. She valued love, the presence of it in our family, and the love of God. When she was 14 years old, after an appropriate courtship, she married the love of her life my grandfather William Howard Taft Goble. Theirs was the ultimate love story and she told it to us often. My summary will surely leave out some important details, but I hope you enjoy what I can remember.
My grandmother was in the 8th grade in 1929 and she along with her sisters would walk to school everyday down a long dirt road. She was “Keeping Company” with Howard and was visited by him on occasion while walking to and from school. They decided that they were in love and marriage was the next step for them. They did not believe that her parents would agree with this decision. He was an “older” man. She was only 14 and he was 21. Having talked to her sisters about her situation, they agreed to help her elope. It was decided that on the chosen day, Lois and her sisters would leave for school just as if it were a normal day. After they had walked a safe distance from home, Howard would pick her up in his car and they would drive to a neighboring state and get married. This plan worked like a charm and he delivered her back to the road where her sisters were walking home from school that afternoon. She went home with them and her parents did not suspect a thing. Two weeks passed with them seeing each other occasionally as “friends” and they decided their current arrangement was not working for them so they had to tell her parents the truth. They survived the disappointment of my great grandparents that finally evolved into acceptance and a blessing for a long happy life together, and “Set Up Housekeeping” a few weeks after their secret wedding day. Theirs was a happy marriage with many ups and downs, but love always reined and helped them through the tough times. They were blessed with five children and because of various infant medical problems only two of them lived longer than 1 year. My mother Dorothy Estelle Goble (named for her maternal grandmother) and my uncle Floyd Alpha Goble were the only children they were given the opportunity to spend time with here on earth. My uncle died about 30 years ago.
My grandfather died in 1968 and my grandmother joined him in heaven over 20 years later. Their legacy lives on in the lives of their grandchildren and their great-grandchildren. I have included a photo of their family when my mom was a small child and also a picture (above) of the first Valentine my grandfather gave to my grandmother. Their love for each other, family, and God, is the kind of love we should all try to achieve.
Because of my grandmother Lois and her desire to always make Valentine’s Day special for everyone she loved, I too desire to make a big deal out of the holiday. In our family, there are a few “Valentine’s Day” traditions we have and are trying to continue as our family evolves. For breakfast on either Valentine’s Day or a weekend close to the holiday, we have strawberry french toast with all the trimmings. My husband always gives our daughter roses because he said, “She is as pretty as a rose” the day she was born. I buy gifts for all the children. My husband and I exchange cards and small gifts and I decorate our home with heart shaped decorations. I know my family appreciates the little things we do to make this a special time of year and my desire is for them to carry on these traditions with their own family someday. This is one way that we can remember my grandmother’s love and a way her legacy can influence our children, grandchildren and generations to come. I have my own little tradition where I wear a heart shaped broach made out of old buttons salvaged from my grandmother’s button jar. This reminds me of her and her love for me, especially on Valentine’s Day!
