68 years together and still smiling

DEXTER, Mo. -- Some might say the bride robbed the cradle just a bit when Chlora Lemons married Truman Christian 68 years ago. She was his senior by not quite a month, and she was all of 16 years old.

The 15- and 16-year-olds got a ride in a 1942 Chevy with friends and a few family members -- seven in all -- on an April day in 1943 to Piggott, Ark., where many young couples of the day traveled to get married. Authorities there seemed to ask few questions when it came to verifying one's age.

"They asked me if I was 21," Truman recalled, "and I just nodded my head."

"They asked me if I was 18," Chlora said, "and I nodded, too."

And so the two began their life together. There was no time for a honeymoon.

"We both had to get back to work the next day," Chlo said.

She worked at Elder Manufacturing in Dexter, where her employment would span 46 years, and Truman was a heavy equipment operator for Lemons Gravel.

"I went to school after the Army on the GI bill to learn how to operate heavy equipment," he said.

The skill would carry him through more than 40 years with Lemons. The two retired together in 1989, with intentions to travel and enjoy their golden years.

When the Christians made what was in 1943 considered a significant journey to Piggott, Franklin D. Roosevelt was president. A gallon of gasoline for that 1942 Chevy cost 15 cents. A bottle of Coca Cola was a nickel and the average American brought home $2,000 for a year's work.

"When we were first married, I made $12 a week," Chlora said. "I bought the groceries, and he paid the bills."

The Christian's marriage has worked well over the years utilizing that kind of teamwork. When asked what makes a marriage last nearly seven decades, Truman points to his life partner and says, "Her."

And with a smile, Chlora credits him right back. The pair have lived in harmony for so many years, they answer in unison, often phrasing answers identically.

"We kind of raised each other," she said of their 68 years together.

When the first of their three sons was born, Truman was in the military. He joined the Army at 18 while Chlora remained at home in Dexter.

"I took the baby at six weeks old and rode the train to Louisville, Ky., to meet Truman before he was going to ship off to Japan," she recalled.

"What we didn't know is that it was the week of the Kentucky Derby," her husband said. "And so we couldn't get a room. Everything was filled."

As it turned out, a woman recognized their dilemma and offered them her room as a gift. The two have always remembered her kindness.

After meeting his son, Truman went to Japan and Chlora returned home to continue working. She and the baby lived in a small rental in town.

"The war was over when I was in Japan," Truman said, "but while I was there I was assigned to guard the Imperial Palace."

It was an experience the young soldier wouldn't ever forget. A couple of years later, he was back home and working for the gravel company. Two more sons were born. In the early 1960s, the Christians bought a farm just north of town. In between their two full-time jobs, they raised cattle and a sizable garden, with a little help from their growing sons, all of whom now have families of their own.

When retirement afforded the opportunity to travel, the Christians took several road trips.

"We've been to Canada, Mexico, Washington D.C., and Yellowstone to name a few," Truman said.

Sixty-eight years is a long time, the two agree, but they concur, "Time flies when you're having fun."