A personal note: My Bride and me

On Nov. 6 my wife and I were treated to a surprise party by our children and grandchildren to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary.

Jack & Nelda Laurent Coffee

We were married on that date in 1959 while I was soldiering at Fort Sill, OK. My sister had introduced us to each other back in our hometown of Baton Rouge, LA a few weeks (yes, weeks!) earlier. I was on a list of soldiers scheduled to rotate to Germany and, because I had little hopes of getting home before that move, she came to see me.

I had already asked her to marry me at the first opportunity I had to get home and she had accepted. We just moved it up a bit - being under age 20, I had to get my mother's permission - and took our vows a few days later in the post chapel. It was a year later before I finally shipped out, not to Germany but to France. She followed about two months later and our first child was born there the following May.

Since that time we've lived in New Mexico - where our second child, a son - was born, Louisiana - where second son and last child was born - Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore. After nearly nine years in the military we capped a 27-year career with Exxon Corp., in 1995 and finally got back to our roots in south Louisiana.

We are grandparents to seven; five boys and two girls. The oldest grandson is nearing 24 and a law student; the youngest will be four on Thanksgiving Day.

Anyone who says there's no such thing as love at first sight is either blind or short sited!

It's been a grand journey!