From their teens to nineties, Tyler couple cultivates a rare, everlasting love

Published 5:45 am Wednesday, February 14, 2024

For better or worse, Wayne and Jessie Williamson have stuck by each other’s side like glue since they were married in their teens — almost 73 years ago.

When Wayne met Jessie in 1950, he worked for American manufacturing company Fairbanks Morse in Beloit, Wisconsin, and spent $25 a week renting a room at the Knotty Pine Motel.

About a block away, Jessie babysat children of the owners of a local restaurant. Wayne ate almost every meal at the restaurant, where a teenage Jessie regularly cared for the children.

“It was a little restaurant where I ate all the time, and Jessie was a babysitter for the owners of that restaurant,” Wayne said. “We were both there quite a lot.”

It became a regular occurrence for the two to see each other at the restaurant.

Jessie was 17 years old when she met Wayne and fell in love with him.

“I thought he was cute. He was. He was very cute,” Jessie said, blushing. “We naturally just started conversing with each other.”

Their chemistry was instant, and after a few months, the couple was married.

“It developed from friendship into love,” Jessie said.

As their relationship blossomed, everyone knew Wayne and Jessie would end up together.

They were married June 11, 1951, with their friends as witnesses, in Jessie’s grandmother’s preacher’s house.

Now, the love of Wayne, 91, and Jessie, 90, continues to flourish.

For richer, for poorer

“We made very little money back then, and one thing I can always remember is that I guess it was customary to tip the preacher,” Wayne said. “I tipped him $5. That’s about all I could afford.”

There were good and bad times, but the pair remained faithful to each other. When times were tough, they talked about what it would take to survive.

“We just barely made it,” Jessie said.

Eventually, the tables turned.

After years in the automotive industry, Wayne could afford cars, boats, recreational vehicles and vacations. He’s worked hard over the years, and his grandchildren say they get their hard work ethic from him.

In his lifetime, Wayne has owned about 130 new cars, plus a few used ones, 10 motorhomes, and two school buses, he said.

“Every time we had a long weekend vacation, we’d head for the Mississippi,” Wayne said. “We spent all our time on the river back then.”

When they weren’t cruising up and down the river in their motorboat, the couple enjoyed square dancing and renovated a school bus to travel with friends to various competitions and trips.

Jessie describes Wayne as fair-minded, loyal, and a fantastic husband, father, and grandfather.

“If he’s your friend, you’ve got a friend for life,” Jessie said.

Wayne feels lucky to have met Jessie seven decades ago.

“I couldn’t ask for a better wife,” Wayne said.

Nothing easy is worth having. Wayne and Jessie advise young couples to persevere, make up, and have humility.

Wayne and Jessie agreed a good sense of humor is essential.

In sickness and health

“Now that I’ve been retired 33 years, she’s got to know where I am every minute,” Wayne said.

Wayne described a health scare several years ago and how grateful the couple is to have made it through, despite doctors giving up on them. Doctors were unable to diagnose Wayne’s sudden decline in health and cognitive functioning.

He was in a home hospice for about a year before slowly recovering and weaning off medical devices. He attributes his condition to the recall of a medical device where insulation deteriorates, and the patient inhales particles that could be harmful or fatal.

“That was the scariest time in my life,” Jessie said.

Wayne also shared his experience with prostate cancer, early detection and treatment. Jessie has also had multiple surgeries to remove cancer in her lungs.

To love and to cherish

Wayne and Jessie have stayed together through hardships, thanks to strong resilience.

Although Jessie wasn’t happy to leave her family and friends to move to Texas for Wayne to take on a new job, they had to go where they could thrive. They arrived in 1969 in Tyler, where they’ve lived ever since.

“I don’t go anywhere without her,” Wayne said.

“We’re together all the time,” Jessie added.

While the impact may not be noticeable, Wayne and Jessie’s relationship is unique in its longevity.

“It is strange for people to be married that long,” their daughter Sandy Riaz said.

Sandy is married to Mohammed, and their son Edward is married to Debra. Wayne and Jessie have five grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Wayne and Jessie’s commitment represents a rarity in the United States. Forbes reported in January that the well-known statistic of “half of all marriages end in divorce” is true when it comes to first marriages. Second and third marriages fail at an even higher rate, at 67% and 73%, respectively.

But for the Williamsons, divorce was never an option or a passing thought in either of their minds. The effects are seen in their children and grandchildren having no divorces or breakups. The biggest reward for them is having a successful, proud family.

“It’s quite rare,” Wayne said.

The couple’s strength in their love and unwavering dedication to one another, nearly 73 years later, proves their vows were more than words. Wayne and Jessie will celebrate their wedding anniversary on June 11.