'Til death do us part'

Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Art and Polly celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary.

Editor's note: In the following essay, a local woman shares story of her grandparents' love that spanned 60 years; a tribute to the love they carried with them to life's end. On Valentine's Day, we're sharing this reader-submitted story with our readers. For more local love stories, pick up a copy of SHE magazine, available now at the Nevada Daily Mail and The Fort Scott Tribune offices and in racks throughout the coverage area.

I can't think of a more romantic love story than that of my grandparents, Arthur and Pauline Sewell, better known as "Art and Polly."

Around here everyone knows that they operated the "A and P" bait shop on South Tower Street in Nevada, for many years. But what they might not know is their love story.

It was truly one of those "love at first sight" encounters as that within four weeks of meeting, they were married. I've heard the story many times as Grandma loved to tell it over and over again. Grandad was her knight in shining armor, the love of her life, and even after he died in 1999 after 60 years of marriage, she would tell the story with a warm smile on her face. Grandma has been gone just a little more than a year now, having died in November of 2010, but still no one can tell her love story better than she can. She wrote it down in case any one would ever forget.

Pauline's story

Following are Pauline's words, written in December o1999:

When I first met Arthur, it was far from a romantic setting. I was lying down in the middle of my aunt's living room floor taking a Sunday afternoon nap when he walked in.

Another aunt had been writing and telling me I ought to meet Art, as he was so handsome and could really play the guitar and sing.

They lived 210 miles away, it was depression time and Art didn't have a car, so they brought him down to meet me.

He was good looking, that was for sure, and I knew he was my knight in shining armor that first day.

They had to return home but the next weekend they were back and I found out he felt the same way I did. I still get a thrill when I go by that house where we met and remember the sweet kisses I shared with Art on the back porch.

The next weekend, another aunt decided to visit my aunt in Art's hometown.

I received a letter from Art asking me to come with her and "if he had his way, I wouldn't come back home." In those days, that was a proposal of marriage.

Of course, I went. Art played for a square dance that night. Afterwards, Art and I sat in the back seat of my Uncle's car when Art asked me if thought I could stand to look at him across the breakfast table the rest of my life. My answer was "Yes." However, I wanted to go back home so my mother could be part of our wedding.

Art hocked his guitar for $10 and bought me a wedding ring and paid the preacher. So on the fourth weekend after we met, we were married.

Remember, this was during the Depression and Art couldn't afford a car and we lived 210 miles apart.

Times were hard then. Art and I lived in a chicken house on an aunt's farm.

He cut and sold wood to keep food on the table. We ate lots of beans and potatoes and had meat when Art went fishing or hunting. He trapped and sold furs in the winter for Christmas money. Those were happy times, too. Our little chicken house home was always full of friends, usually having music and singing.

At the time of (the Japanese attack on) Pearl Harbor, we already had a beautiful little girl and a son on the way. Soon afterward, Art and I went to Torrance, Calif., and worked in defense work. The war changed our way of life. When Art joined the army, I moved to Tulsa, Okla., with our two children.

Art had 10 days between his training and being sent to Germany to spend with us. Those days really flew by. I still have my letters full of love he wrote me from Germany.

I worked for Safeway stores while he was gone and was able to save $300.

When Art was discharged, we moved back to my hometown and were able to buy two lots that were covered with timber, which we cleared. Art had a special eight-by-ten-foot tent made and he built a wooden frame and floor for it. He added a lean-to for a kitchen and our happy life together began again.

Art built our first room out of native lumber and butted the tent up against it. We lived in that room and slept in the tent. By then, our third child -- a son -- had been born.

Things got better for us as Art was a carpenter and always had plenty of work.

Two years later we were blessed with another daughter. Again, Art built another room and we were the proud owners of a two-room house.

Another son was born two years later, and again, our house grew; two bedrooms and a bathroom -- a modern home. Several years later, as the children grew, we added two more bedrooms, a dining room and a garage. I went to work again, this time as a hospital food services director.

Nine years later another son was born. By this time, our oldest daughter was married and we had a precious grandson. Of course, Art added another room on to our house, a large family room with a fireplace.

By this time, Art was working as a bridge carpenter and helped build bridges across Missouri.

Art added a screened porch and extra bath to our home.

We never went deep in debt at any time for our building and our house grew as our family grew.

After retirement from construction work, Art built a bait and tackle shop in our backyard. As he had always been an ardent fisherman, this was a good retirement/hobby business for him.

For our 50th wedding anniversary celebration, Art built a 16-by-24 foot screened shelter house and we have really put it to good use with six children, 20 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren.

Our home was always full of love, shared with family, friends, friends of friends, neighbors, church folks, and kids from college. Art bought himself an electric guitar, so we had lots of music and singing in our home. Art and I played and sang with a country western band and later on, gospel over the radio.

We've had a good life and I never grew tired of seeing Art across the breakfast table, I loved it.

We celebrated our wedding anniversary in September and it was wonderful.

Shortly after our 60th wedding anniversary, Art suffered a stroke and died on Oct. 20, 1999.

This is a "true love story." Being married 60 years after a courtship of only three weekends.

We had 60 good years. Art was a great husband and father.

Heaven grows sweeter knowing Art is waiting for me to meet him there.

Tracy says the story

continues

On Sunday, Nov. 21, 2010, I said good-bye to Grandma only an hour or so before she entered Grandad's arms again in Heaven. She was ready to go but still holding on to her life here.

As I drove home I prayed for God to give her peace and even sent a message up to Grandad telling him that he might just have to come down here and get her himself. The moment I arrived home and walked in my door, the phone was ringing. It was the call to tell me that Grandma had went on to Heaven.

So, to me, their love story continues. I strongly believe that Grandad came down here, took her hand and led her "home," There is nothing more romantic than being led to Heaven by the love of your life. And I smile as I imagine their "sweet kisses" as they look down from Heaven at their six children, 23 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren and 8 great-great-grandchildren.

I end this story with one of Grandma's favorite words of advice on love and marriage: "Never go to bed angry at one another."

Art and Polly Sewell, with granddaughter Tracy Sewell.

This was another thing she told me over and over again, adding that she and Grandad never went to bed angry and that that should be evident in the fact that they had six kids! She always giggled when she told me this.

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