A Love Story

Happy Valentine’s Day, Everyone!

I am so excited for today as I’ve been waiting all year to share with you a very special love story that I discovered several years ago while caring for my Great Aunt Gladys who passed away in 2017.

In order to understand just how great of a discovery this was, I need to give you a little background. You see, my Aunt Gladys who was 92 years old when she passed, never married. In fact, to everyone’s knowledge, she never even dated.

Born in the home where she would eventually live her entire life, Gladys was the fourth child of my Great Grandparents, Benjamin and Ruby Dronebarger. When she was three months old her father was killed.  Since this was back in 1926 there was no social security, widows’ pension or any kind of help that a widow with four children could rely on. Unless a woman remarried right away, life was very hard both financially and emotionally. It must have made a big impression on my aunt because she told me at the age of 17 years old, a time when her mom was still young and healthy, she felt the calling to give her mother a good life. Even if that meant giving up her own.

Which brings me to the love story…

My discovery began on Mother’s Day 2017 when I learned a heaviness on my Aunt’s heart. My husband and I picked her up for dinner and noticed that she was unusually quite, which was not like her at all! Usually, it was hard to get a word in, ha-ha. As the evening came to an end and we were sitting in the car, we learned what was troubling her. Earlier that day the assisted living center held a program honoring all the mothers but she was overlooked. She began to cry. She explained to us that although she never had children, caring for her mother the way she did was like caring for a child and that no one ever really knew just what she gave up in the process.

Her words “No one will ever know just what I gave up”, stayed with me as I had never seen my aunt cry so hard. Was it a job, college or maybe it was a love that she gave up? Something inside of me said that there was more to her story and that it wanted to come out before she died. When the time was right and we were sitting enjoying a cup of tea, I decided to prod.  “Glady’s were you ever in love”? I looked over to see her bow her head in deep thought. Silence that filled the room. After a few minutes she spoke his name, Herbert Wyrick, Jr.

The question broke the dam of a long but not forgotten story of love. Without asking, she continued with the details. Herbert was the son of the pastor at the First Baptist Church in Barberton, Ohio where she attended church. He was eight years older than her, a World War II veteran, a musician and a teacher. He and Gladys were very much in love. They dated for over three years and talked about getting married often.

Then one day Herbert got a job offer to teach for the public schools in New York City. According to Gladys in those days getting a teaching job in New York was a big deal. An opportunity you just didn’t turn down. He wanted Gladys to marry him and move to New York. But Gladys said no. She couldn’t leave her mother and she couldn’t take her away from her family and friends.

Herbert left and they kept in contact for about a year but eventually the letters stopped. Gladys said nothing was going to come of it since she wouldn’t move so why continue. It was just too hard. Silence filled the room again and tears filled her eyes as she relived the memories. My heart broke for her as throughout the day she would tell me more. She said that after their last letter she continued to followed his life through his parents and sisters, who she was very good friends with until the day they all passed away. Nothing more was ever said about him. Then one day while visiting her at the nearby assisted living center, she told me that there was a book at her house that she wanted me to have. It was a red, hardcover book sitting on her bookshelf in the living room. No other information, just that she wanted me to have that book. I made a mental note to pick it up next time we were at her house but didn’t make much of an effort to go get it. That was until the next time I saw her, I realized that she wanted me to go get it SOON. Sitting on the bookshelf where she said it would be was a red book titled  “Romance of the Pastorate” written by Herbert M. Wyrick and Roxie B. Wyrick,  Herbert’s Parents.

“Ah, so his parents wrote a book” I said to myself, and took it home with me, still not thinking much of it. Then one evening I sat down and glanced at the book when something told me to pick it up. It was when I opened it that I saw the treasures she wanted me to see. Inside was a letter, newspaper clippings, a photo of Herbert’s parents, his sisters and a photo of Herbert and Gladys. On the back of the picture it read “Taken at Carnival photo 1946. Herbert M Wyrick, Jr., Gladys J Dronebarger.” So, this is why she was so insistent that I get this book! I couldn’t stop staring at the photo. I had never seen my aunt look so beautiful and so happy. Needless to say, I cried!

I couldn’t wait to let Gladys know I found the book and the contents inside. When I told her she just smiled and asked “wasn’t he handsome?” it was more of a statement than a question.

I replied, “Yes, Gladys, he was. And I have never seen you look so happy and beautiful. You glowed!”

I felt her heartbreaking all over again as I reached over and hugged her. The heaviness that had been in her heart all these years was now free. At that moment, I knew I had been given a very special gift. Her secret, her love story. One that I am sure she would have wanted me to share after she was gone.

“You know”, she piped up after we finished hugging and wiped the tears from our eyes, “Herbert never did get married”, she slowly looked up at me with an incredibly pleased smile. “Oh, really?” I said. The tinkle in her eyes told me that she was pretty pleased about that. Knowing this somehow made her feel that they were indeed soulmates and that no one else compared to the love they had.

❤️❤️❤️

I read this story as part of my Aunt’s Eulogy. I am thankful that I did because there were two people that came to the funeral that knew Herbert and Gladys and confirmed that it was indeed a great and tragic love story.

It’s been several years since my aunt has passed and not a day goes by that I don’t think of her. Today, I like to think that she is spending her Valentine’s Day in heaven wrapped in Herbert’s arms and dancing to a favorite love song from years past.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Aunt Gladys! I love you!

The End

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