It’s Valentine’s, and love is in the air! At Morning Pointe Senior Living, we welcome couples to enjoy their golden years side by side in our communities, and we have many husbands and wives across our footprint who inspire us with their devotion and love.
Meet five of our wonderful Morning Pointe couples in our assisted living communities!
Eddie and Dottie Baker – Morning Pointe of Spring Hill Assisted Living, TN
The Bakers celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on Dec. 31, 2024. They never have trouble remembering their anniversary date!
Eddie and Dottie met at a Methodist Youth Fellowship and married at ages 19 and 18. Dottie was attracted to Eddie because he played almost every sport, including football. She was a cheerleader. For his part, Eddie was attracted to Dottie because of her beautiful curly black hair.
The Bakers have two children, Kathy and Greg, as well as 4 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. They are still best friends. Dottie said, “Eddie is always happy. He has a great sense of humor that keeps us laughing. He also has a way of making everyone around us feel special.” Eddie shared, “Dottie always is in good humor.”
When we asked them for their marriage advice, Dottie shared, “Love is the start of it all, and it brings the love of your family. My grandchildren and great-grandchildren make my heart explode with happiness and love ALL the time.” Eddie added, “Never go to bed mad at each other, and there is a difference between love and passion.”
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Edith and Hartsell Edwards – Morning Pointe of Powell Assisted Living, TN
The Bakers are not the only Morning Pointe couple with a memorable anniversary date. Edith and Hartsell married on Christmas Day 1953. They have been married for 71 years now.
The Edwards met and started dating in high school. Edith was attracted to Hartsell because of his sweet demeanor and kindness to everyone. The couple now has three children, as well as nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Their marriage advice is: “Both give 100%, put the other person first, and put God at the head of the household and relationship.”
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Carl and Beverly Winton – Morning Pointe of Hixson Assisted Living, TN
The Wintons, married 68 years, are high school sweethearts from New Jersey. They met, funny enough, because Babs and her friends needed a licensed driver to transport them. Carl was in the Air Force, and Babs was still in high school. They married on May 19, 1956, and Babs completed school before joining Carl in Italy, where he was stationed.
They had their first child, Mark, in Italy, and their other two children, Laurie and Dawn, after they moved to Florida. Carl earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Florida and worked for the Air Force. He assisted with the space program and aerospace, then finally got a job with Tennessee Valley Authority, moving them to Tennessee, where he retired.
“Babs was an amazing homemaker,” Carl shared, adding that he always loved her meatloaf. They cherished ballroom dancing together, and their advice for a long marriage is to always hold hands and build trust.
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Bob and Barbara Mock – Morning Pointe of Knoxville Assisted Living, TN
Bob and Barbara met in church at age 15. Bob prayed about his feelings for Barbara and decided to ask her on a date. Barbara felt that he was a very kind young man and says, “He has also grown into a very kind old man.” They have two children, Robert and Michelle, and will celebrate their 69th anniversary on June 30th. Their secret to a long, happy marriage is being a good friend to one another.
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John and Jane Neely – Morning Pointe of Brentwood Assisted Living, TN
The Neelys will celebrate their 72nd anniversary on Feb. 15! But their relationship goes back quite a bit further. Their great-grandfathers practiced medicine together on horseback in the 1800s. The families were close, and John and Jane’s mothers were best friends.
Jane was not allowed to date until she was 16, and when she did, it didn’t take long for John to show up at her door and ask her to the movies. He was 21 and had returned from World War II. Jane went on to the University of Tennessee Martin Junior College and then to UT Knoxville to complete her degree in education. She graduated on Dec. 19, 1952, and returned home. Bright and early the next morning, John was there with a ring to propose. John and Jane went on to have three children.
Jane says the key to a successful marriage is to “find things to do together,” and they certainly have! They have faithfully attended church together all their married life, and they enjoyed attending sporting events, especially UT football games. John ran a local shop, Neely’s Tire Service, and Jane was right there helping with the bookkeeping for the business. When John started up a tire-buying group called CBI Tire Company, Jane was his bookkeeper again.
Now they remain together in their apartment at Morning Pointe of Brentwood, where they moved in 2015. They enjoy meeting new people and participating in activities together at the community.
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Happy Valentine’s Day to all of our resident couples! Thank you for your examples of love and dedication. We are so glad you are part of our Morning Pointe family!
