A forecast for enduring love
Mount Morris couple wed on Groundhog Day celebrate 75 years
No shadow of a doubt here.
Don Pyle knew Helen Stiles was the one for him.
And when he proposed, she said yes.
That鈥檚 why the Greene County couple motored to Oakland, Maryland, to stand before a minister and take their nuptial vows on the frosty Groundhog Day of 1951.
Which is also why the groom, as he jokes, had a most interesting dichotomy that day.
The heater in Don鈥檚 ride 鈥 a spiffy, 1942 Buick, in two-tone blue 鈥 was busted.
And it was chilly, man, chilly.
鈥淚 told the preacher鈥檚 wife I had cold feet,鈥 Don chuckled.
鈥淪he smiled. I said, 鈥楴o, my feet really are freezing. The heater in my car doesn鈥檛 work.鈥 So, she brought out this warmer kind of thing.鈥
Does that mean the groom who had cold feet 鈥 also had his feet held to the fire 鈥 at the same time?
鈥淕ood one,鈥 Helen said.
鈥淗uh, never thought of that,鈥 her husband seconded.
Buster and the incredible, inedible pie
Helen turned 93 last week. Don just made his 95th trip around the sun. Today, as said, is their 75th wedding anniversary.
Their son and only child, Joe R. Pyle 鈥 yes, the auctioneer with the signature Stetson, loud-on-purpose sport coat and the most kicking cowboy boots this side of Bakersfield 鈥 said his parents have been blessed by being best friends, besides husband and wife.
鈥淪ometimes, it doesn鈥檛 work out with couples,鈥 he said. 鈥淲ith my parents, it did. They still genuinely enjoy each other鈥檚 company. They still do things together. They still have fun.鈥
They started dating while they were both students at Clay-Battelle High School in Blacksville, W.Va.
Don鈥檚 family had moved just over the Pennsylvania state line to nearby Greene County 鈥 he and Helen still live in Mount Morris 鈥 but he walked a mile to the bus stop every day so he could graduate with his classmates.
Helen quickened his step. She was friends with his sister and came to the house for a sleepover one weekend.
Somebody noticed.
鈥淎 romance blossomed, as they say,鈥 Don remembered.
鈥淔ell in love,鈥 Helen seconded.
After marriage and Don鈥檚 stint in the military, they set up housekeeping. Don took a factory job but the work wasn鈥檛 steady.
Being a wrench-turner from way back, he started flipping cars for extra money and parlayed a side gig into a good career, eventually owning a successful garage and car dealership by the time he was done.
鈥淗e worked hard and he knew how to connect with people,鈥 Joe said.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what it is. It鈥檚 that 鈥榗onnectivity.鈥 I mean, he didn鈥檛 call it that, but he knew how to bond with his employees and especially his customers. He still checks in on his friends. He calls and emails.鈥
While Don worked at his garage, Helen managed the household.
She鈥檚 renowned for her cooking, but in those early days, Helen and her kitchen weren鈥檛 always on speaking terms, her son laughs.
鈥淵eah, they were just married and she baked a pie,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he crust was so tough they couldn鈥檛 cut into it.鈥
Before Joe, they had a loveable dog named Buster.
As Don and Helen were a frugal couple who didn鈥檛 want to waste food, they gave the pie to the pup, who sidled up to it, sniffed, fixed the couple with a look 鈥 and padded off.
鈥淣ot even Buster,鈥 Joe laughed. 鈥淗e wasn鈥檛 having any of it. And now my mother鈥檚 peach pies are legendary.鈥
鈥榊ou just do鈥
Their son, the auctioneer, turned the story into a primer on how to succeed in business and life.
Rather, if you don鈥檛 know how to do something at first, or if you aren鈥檛 good at something at first, you will master it or at least be passable at it 鈥 if you work at it.
He never saw his parents have to work at their marriage.
They鈥檙e always at the table together, for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
During the COVID days when everyone was isolated, they still went on drives, cruising the Pennsylvania two lanes together, in a car with a heater that worked this time.
In a time when couples don鈥檛 stay wed for 75 days, and personal longevity aside, how have they managed to remain married for 75 years?
鈥淵ou just do,鈥 Don said.
鈥淕ive and take,鈥 Helen said.
鈥淵eah,鈥 Don countered. 鈥淪he鈥檚 not always nosy.鈥
鈥淎nd he鈥檚 not always annoying,鈥 came Helen鈥檚 retort, with nary a pause.
Then, they both laughed.
Heck, their son said: Punxsutawney Phil himself couldn鈥檛 have projected a better bid for wedded bliss.