By Catherine Ellerton
Moapa Valley Progress
It began when an Ogden, Utah, lady came to Overton to visit relatives. She loved to dance and, naturally, attended a dance at the Senior Center.
He was a long time teacher at Bowler Elementary School in Logandale who liked to dance and, naturally, attended a dance at the Senior Citizens Center.
The rest of the story is that Diana and Barney Cooley have now been Mr. and Mrs. for two years all because of that fateful dance at the MV Senior Citizens Center.
There were more stories to intrigue as the crowded room swayed to the mood setting music played and performed by Coyote Jack (also known as Jack Morgan). The music enhanced the holiday – Valentine’s Day – from swing to that almost forgotten favorite – the waltz.
There were stories of complexity – Afton and Merle Albrechtsen have been married for 63 years. Merle’s sister Mary (The Brown Girls) married Afton’s first cousin, Beaman.
There were stories of families when Snowbirds, Jerry & Nola Hopkins, married 49 years, came to visit daughter Shawna Jessen, the principal at Bowler Elementary; and stories of newlyweds such as Gary and Jean Gaylord on their third year.
There were stories of new friends and distant neighbors when I stumbled across a group from Bozeman, Montana, enjoying the warmth of the Southwest. Joyce and Ray Foster – 33 years, 2nd time around; 56 years of celebration by Bill and Leona Hanks and Tom and Arty Parac going on 49 years – we swapped stories and shared mutual friends.
Still more Snow birds had come to enjoy the music and hospitality – Dot and Bill Blake (25 years) from Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Rodney and Norma Jean Hansen (63 years) from Brigham City, Utah.
Cake and ice cream, dancing girls (Sr. Center Line Dancers), and the “easy on the ears” musical styling of Jack Morgan combined to make this February 14th an evening to remember.
