It was in 1935 that Connie Wright approached Samuel Knight to ask if he could have Ora Lee’s hand in marriage.

Sam Knight – my great-grandfather – had six sons, and only one daughter: the apple of his eye. But Ora Lee was so synonymous with her half-dozen brothers and also quite the tomboy that she had picked up a nickname that would stick with her throughout her life: “Tom”.

“No,” Great-Grandpa Knight told Connie: “You can’t marry the girl, but I’ll let you take any of the boys off my hands!”

Ora Lee Knight was 16 years old when Uncle Connie came a’courting for her to be his bride. Uncle Connie passed away in 1984 and between he and Ora Lee they had 49 years of beautiful marriage that produced four children and a whole posse of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

This past Friday morning, the fine lady who so ...