Couple of kids still having fun together 75 years later

Bob Caldwell smiled and said of his longtime marriage to his wife Juanell, "We started out as a couple of kids from poor families."

Be that as it may, they are rich in love now and have been for more than three quarters of a century. They celebrated 75 years of being married on June 9, followed by a party on June 11 at Pecan Plantation, hosted by their three sons and two daughters-in-law.

Bob, 94, is from Hamlin and Juanell, 92, was originally from Graham. They first met when her dad took a job in Hamlin in the early 1940s, and she immediately captured Bob’s heart.

"I kinda liked him too," Juanell said with a smile. "He was a very handsome young man. It was love right away."

As Bob said, "It grew into a lifetime love story. We set the wedding, things got going and (we've) been going ever since."

Bob went to work in the oil patch in 1951, working for Conoco.

"I thought I could make a little better living for my family. We started our family early," he said. "It was the last job I ever asked for. I continued with Conoco for the rest of my career."

Their life together has taken them all over the U.S. and the world. They even lived in Egypt and Scotland. As golfers, Bob recalled playing one of the most legendary courses in the world while in Aberdeen, Scotland.

"Cecil (their oldest son) came over and we played," he said, adding that he plays with Cecil and their middle son Jerry almost every week now. They have a youngest son, Matt.

Bob and Juanell have seven grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

Also while in Aberdeen, the Caldwells helped build an international Baptist Church. They are now members of Lake Baptist Church in Granbury.

"We couldn't buy property to build a church, so we leased property for 100 years. I'm not sure what's gonna happen in 2083 when the lease is up," Bob said with a chuckle.

During their time in Egypt Bob recalled guards outside the church.

"We never had a problem, though," he said. "But if we'd left the country we probably couldn't come back."

While there they also journeyed up Mount Sinai, the place where Moses received the 10 Commandments from God.

"That was very special," he said.

They moved to Hood County in 2001. Cecil had settled here about a year earlier in Pecan.

"He told me Pecan is a perfect place to live," Bob said. "So we decided to get closer to the kids. Juanell suggested it and I'm glad she did."

Nowadays they regularly play 42 dominoes together. They also took up golfing together years ago, and Bob still plays regular tournaments at Pecan. She was president of the Nutcracker Women's Golf Association in 2008.

And they've been to the historic Masters Golf Tournament together several times.

"I took the game up and she said she didn't want to be a golf widow, so she started playing," Bob said with a chuckle.

They also love taking drives together. In fact, they bought a Camaro convertible two years ago.

 "We had a Corvette up in Colorado. We'd take some wine and go out by the river," Juanell said, recalling one of their many favorite memories.

Bob added, "It takes a lot of give and take. We have never had a serious argument. It's a matter of patience. It's a partnership."

They've also fought through health challenges together. Juanell had a stroke in 1980 and defeated breast cancer in 2009. Bob had a heart attack two years ago and has had knee replacement.

Through it all, however, they keep each other strong.

"It's just unbelievable when you think about all the things we've done together," Juanell said. "You need to do things together as a couple, and that's what we do and plan to continue."