Black History Month: Celebrating five decades of love - The Richards'
During the week we celebrate love, we’re honored to share snippets of local couples that inspire many throughout the community. We’re honored to feature them and we hope you enjoy learning what’s sustained their relationship for decades. This short Q& A was commissioned by Davidson Local and executed by the couple’s children
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Names and ages - Bobby J., 89, and Mary Ann Kilgore Richards, 79.
How long have you been married? Date of marriage? 58 year; December 7, 1963
Family - 4 children, 9 grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren and 1 on the way
How did you two meet? What were your first impressions?
Bobby - That’s a good question – ha ha – I was going fishing and this was my fish. This is the only thing I caught. I think she is the prettiest thing I ever saw and still do.
Mary Ann - Well, I know he just knocked me off of my feet. God put us together.
What are some of your favorite things about each other?
Mary Ann - I love him spoiling me. Just don’t let me want for anything . For our anniversary, he bought me a beautiful grey dress. In our younger years, he bought me candy and flowers. I guess we are just growing old together now.
Bobby - No, it ain’t that. I love you just as hard as I did now as I did then. You just made for me, that’s all.
What challenges have you experienced in your relationship? How have you handled them?
Bobby - Me and Mary Ann have had a pretty good marriage. Didn’t have much money back then but we made things work, We had to work together to make ends meet but me and Mary Ann have had a pretty good marriage.
What have you learned from these challenges?
Mary Ann - One thing I have learned is marriage is give and a take.
Bobby - That’s right.
Mary Ann - Everything is not going to go my way all the time and everything is not going to go his way all the time. We compromise together and talk it out if we have differences with each other and make everything good. That is all you can do .What has been the best thing about being married to your partner?
Bobby - ha ha. You don’t want to know that. (They both started laughing and me too, their daughter, Yolanda. ) Daddy said leave that out lol. And we laughed some more.
What would you say have been the keys to sustaining your decades long marriage?
Bobby - Love and understanding. You learn to live together as one.
Anything else you'd like to share?
Bobby - Just hoping everything that go good with the rest of our life.
Mary Ann - Love getting together with all the family.
