Tyler residents Raymond, 94 and Wanda, 93, Odom celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary on Feb. 5, 2021.

There is something to be said about faith and fate.

It was 77 years ago fate brought Raymond and Wanda Odom together. We receive a lot of anniversary stories at the newspaper, but their story was so inspiring and uplifting, we had to make a trip to visit them at home.

Wanda was once Wanda Lee Anglin and turned 93 recently. She had no problem breaking into the newspaper business.

In high school, Wanda wrote the editor of the newspaper because she wanted to pen a column about the residents of Laird Hill, or as she joked, a suburb of Kilgore. She wrote the column on notebook paper and it was so popular, the editor wanted more. She wrote about things she liked at the school and Kilgore College. Eventually she was known as “The Minnie Pearl from Laird Hill.” She expanded into writing about servicemen and was a proofreader. It’s no wonder she taught for 35 years.

Meanwhile, Raymond Odom was being raised by a school teacher, his mother, Christine Virginia Brownlee Odom and his father, William Booth Odom. William passed on his love and music ability to Raymond.

William’s parents, Ensign and Mrs. Walter H. Odom, were active members of the Salvation Army, in Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida. They also had a ministry and William was a drummer at age 4 and involved in the church. So William did the same, for 98 years.

That was passed on to Raymond, which all leads to how Raymond and Wanda met.

Raymond was an accomplished pianist at a young age, and a pastor called him to take over for an opening at the church. Raymond wasn’t sure. So the pastor threw in an incentive. He would introduce him to a girl.

The incentive worked.

The day Raymond showed up, the girl was out of town. However, Wanda was friends with the pastor and happened to walk in while Raymond was auditioning. The pastor said, “Would you like to meet … ”

Raymond was already on his feet and wanted to meet Wanda before the pastor could finish his sentence.

“I was 16, I had never dated. I was interested in my studies and demanded good grades of myself,” Wanda said of that day in 1941. “My pastor persuaded me to go out with Raymond and he was a wholesome person and someone I really liked.”

They dated two years. During that time, Raymond bought her an engagement ring. Wanda’s father instructed her not to wear it because the marriage would not last. The day Wanda turned 18, they married.

“Her beauty … she looked like a movie star when I married her,” Raymond said with his arm around his wife at their 75th anniversary and her hand gently resting on his knee. “I think the Lord had a hand in that, making sure I did not marry the other girl.”

The Odoms were founding members of CrossPointe Church and said raising their family with the church was a big part of why they have been married so long.

“We always enjoy each other. We like the same things, we like the same foods. There has never been a conflict in our home,” Raymond said. “It was a happy home and it still is. And we still attend CrossPointe.”

Wanda added, “We are of the same religious background so there was no conflict. We stayed in church and we stayed happy. I think the main thing is we kept God in our marriage.”

Their children, Carolyn Odom, 72, and Dr. Richard “Rick” D. Odom, 65, tried to throw them a 50th anniversary party. Wanda joked they were too young, but she let Carolyn throw them a 70th.

Everything has been together. While Raymond graduated from Tyler, they both graduated from Tyler Junior College and A&M Commerce. He supported her and the family as Wanda earned her master’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University. Wanda then taught at the former Lon Morris College in Jacksonville.

They traveled with students and went to Europe twice. Raymond worked in a freight claim department for the railroad for 37 years. When the offices were moving to San Francisco, he decided to open Real Edge Real Estate. At age 94, Raymond still has his license and still does referrals.

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The couple eats together each day; they love to make steak, shrimp and seafood. Their only vice is their sweets.

They’ve lived in the same house on Richmond Road since they were married and joked with me that their neighbors who get the newspaper are the younger generation.

As they took an anniversary selfie with his cell phone, I promised to return again and play the piano with Raymond. But that’s short term. Raymond has other plans.

“We are happy today as we were when we met — and we are looking forward to our 80th anniversary,” Raymond said with a smile.

After 75 years of marriage, they still inspire.

(John Anderson is the editor of the Tyler Morning Telegraph. He can be reached at janderson@tylerpaper.com)