THE MARRIAGE THAT WORKED
By Jack Gardner, US Army Retired
McCook is a small town
On the Nebraska prairie
Where we grew up
But not long would we tarry.

A few of her friends
And four other gals
Plus some of my friends
And three of my pals

Decided it would be nice
If we had a date
They must have realized
She would soon be my mate

Who would have thought
A quick good night kiss
Would lead to
Fifty years of wedded bliss

We married quite young
She was pretty as a queen
No one ever knew
She was only nineteen,

I was much older
Twenty you know
Little did we realize
How much we would grow

 She worked very hard
So I could go to school
She never complained
And was never once cruel

After college in Denver
We started to travel
The Korean war made it rough
But it would never unravel

From private to colonel
She tugged at my heart
We both knew quite early
That we'd never part

And now in the twilight
After 50 short years
I know I chose right
It sometimes brings tears

To realize how lucky
I am to this day
She still is my bride
I'm happy to say.

It seems like just yesterday
That I said Yes, I do
That I'll love you forever
And now I repeat, I do, I really do!
- Jack J. Gardner

Jack and Bonnie Jo (Lieberth) Gardner of Fort Walton Beach, Florida celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary with a dinner/reception for 100 guests at the Eglin Air Force Base Officers Club. Friends and family attended from as far away as Las Vegas, Washington D.C., Georgia, and McCook.

They were married at the Methodist Church in McCook on July 10, 1949. After graduation from McCook Junior College and Denver University they spent 25 years traveling around the world with the US Army and Latin America .. also in Korea and Vietnam. Jack retired as a Colonel after 31 years in the US Army.

Jack wrote this poem for his wife Bonnie Jo. The poem and two paragraphs were published in the McCook Daily Gazette. Permission to use the poem was granted by Jack and Bonnie on 10/04/99.
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