Shirley and Emma Jean Roberson got married in December 1947 and have lived in their Greenville home in Alabama since then. 76 years ago, the couple stood in the same living room they now relax in, waiting for the preacher to arrive and bless their union.
Although their wedding was a humble one with no photos, few guests, and no honeymoon, Shirley and Emma Jean’s marriage has lasted a lifetime and is still going strong. They met as teenagers at a Methodist Youth Fellowship meeting, after which Shirley asked Emma Jean on a date.
Their first date
Then-19-year-old Shirley asked Emma Jean— who was two years younger—to a picture show on their first date. Since so much time has passed, they both cannot recall the movie they saw, but Shirley says his wife had to “call and ask her momma.”
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Shirley sweetly recalled that he was more interested in Emma Jean than whatever movie they had gone to see. Although they never had children and have had to watch most of their friends and family pass away, they credit the church ministry for sustaining them so far.
Their secret to 76 years
In Shirley’s words, one of the secrets to their lasting marriage is loving God and loving each other. “We have tried to do what was right and what was pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ to the best of our ability,” she shared. They resolve their conflict amicably and also try to live by the tenets of the holy book. “We don’t ever go to bed mad,” she added. “We always apologize if we think we’re wrong, and we’ve never had any bad disagreements.”
Shirley and Emma Jean enjoy serving at the church and engaging with the young and old parishioners. “We worked with young people, and I loved older people in the church. We did everything we could to serve the Lord. That was our goal in life,” Emma Jean said.