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Shawna, 32, and Mickey, 65, met at a church function in 2010 and immediately felt a connection. It took a village –Gold Hill, to be exact– to help make their wedding a celebration. The couple was married March 20, 2011 and now live in Gold Hill. Shawna tells their story.
First impressions: Mickey and I met during an Easter service at Hillside Baptist Church, and to this day, I believe God brought us together. With dating, I couldn’t find that special someone, that connection. But the next day, we had our first date at Morrow Mountain and I saw Mickey could be that someone.
So similar: Mickey and I both have Native American backgrounds, enjoy NASCAR and make the other laugh. When we met, we were both down and hurting to make a living. But together, we both felt young again and had hope for the future. We knew in the fall we wanted to get married, but the funds just weren’t there.
Faithful friends: Mickey and I visited Gold Hill that October and met Vivian Hopkins, owner of E.H. Montgomery General Store. When she heard we couldn’t afford a wedding, she offered to host the ceremony and reception in her store. Over the next few months, she arranged for her son to handle the music; his fiancee to take photos and Vivian outfitted us in the 19th-century clothes from the store’s “old-time photo” area. The preacher didn’t charge to marry us, village residents brought refreshments, gifts and the wedding didn’t cost a thing.
Having faith: Gold Hill is now our home and that too, we believe, was in God’s hands. We found each other, our wonderful friends and just celebrated our son’s first Christmas. Hilary Trenda
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E-mail htrenda@charlotteobserver.com. Type "love story" in subject field. Include full names, ages, address, daytime phone number, wedding date, photo. To read past Love Stories: www.charlotteobserver.com/love.
