Art and Frankie Haynes of Georgetown, Texas will celebrate their 75th wedding anniversary Saturday, June 15 at The Hacienda at Georgetown with a gathering of family and friends.
The romance began when Art met Frankie at the Dallas drugstore where she worked. After a short engagement, the couple were married June 18, 1949, at Hampton Place Baptist Church in Dallas. They raised their family in Dallas and Garland where Art worked for the Garland Fire Department for 32 years.
Frankie worked as a bookkeeper and retired after many years with Garrett Electronics. During their retirement years they have enjoyed traveling in their RV, cruise adventures and later participating in many Sun City activities in Georgetown. They still enjoy playing card games and outings with friends and family.
Over their years together, God has blessed them with four children, 12 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
A few of their recollections reflect some of the significant differences in how things were when they got married. In 1949 the minimum wage was 40 cents an hour, and the average annual income was about $3,000. Mrs. Haynes recalled the price of a stamp was .03 cents and the cost to ride a streetcar across town was a nickel. In 1950, they purchased their first home for $12,000.
To support a growing family, Mr. Haynes sold insurance and then joined the Garland Fire Department in 1959. He progressed through the ranks and was promoted to assistant fire chief in 1966. He retired in 1991. The family resided in Garland from1966 until 1998 when they moved to Georgetown where they currently live.
Through the years they have witnessed the advancement in technology, some good and some bad. It seems that technology has taken over some of the family time they used to enjoy and now there is no time to sit and talk.
They recalled their kids being able to play outside and drink water out of hoses, but nowadays doing this would be viewed as bad or dangerous. The couple agreed that times were simpler, and faith and family played a bigger part in everyday life.
“The keys to a long marriage are dedication to the person, faith, family and taking care of responsibilities,” they said. “Be dedicated to each other, have faith in each other and in God. Be responsible for raising your family and providing for them and their needs.”