Love story lasts over 70 years

By Don Rush

Who doesn’t love a love story? This week lovers all over celebrated Valentine’s Day, so too did Bill and Ro VanWagoner. They’ve been together for over 70 years, here’s their story.

In the Dec. 5, 1956 Oxford Leader a wedding announcement was published: “Mr. and Mrs. George William VanWagoner Double Ring Ceremony — Miss Roselyn Francis, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Francis of Oxford and George William Van Wagoner, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ray VanWagoner of Lake Orion, were married last Saturday in the Oxford Methodist Church. The new Mrs. VanWagoner, a graduate of Oxford High School and Eastern Michigan College, is presently teaching fifth grade at Big Rapids. VanWagoner is attending Ferris Institute.”

George William “Bill” was the nephew of Lee VanWagoner, who owned the pharmacy at the corner of Washington and Burdick streets. Roselyn “Ro” was the daughter of Oxford Police Chief Don Francis and she happened to work at the pharmacy. Despite him living in cross-town rival Lake Orion and her living in Oxford they eventually met.

“We first started dating in the 1950s,” Bill, who turns 91 next week said. “She went to Oxford schools and I went to Lake Orion. My Uncle Lee had the drugstore and she worked for Uncle Lee at the soda fountain. My Uncle Elmer lived in Oxford and he lost his wife, so I used to come up on Thursday nights to visit him. One night he said we had to stop ‘at that drugstore on the corner, because there’s a girl in there who makes the best chocolate soda in the county.’ And, that is how we met.”

Ro, who turned 91 earlier in the month, said it “wasn’t love at first sight.”

She said she did her best to ignore him because he was a VanWagoner and his Uncle Lee was her employer. “But he was persistent,” she said.

“Yeah, she ignored me,” he said.

They started dating while they were still in high school, both graduating in 1950. While in college, they would see each other whenever they could. When Bill was drafted by the United States Army and sent to Korea they kept in touch by letters. In a 2016, Oxford Leader article, Ro said, “I guess absence made the heart grow fonder. When he came home, we became engaged.”

They were married at the Oxford Methodist Church on E. Burdick St. before a gathering of 200 family members and friends. They spent the first few years of marriage living in Big Rapids followed by Kalamazoo. In 1961, they returned to Oxford and built a house on Pocahontas Trail, near the village limits, living there until recently. They are now together at Independence Village Oxford.

Ro taught elementary school in Oxford and Bill retired from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department.

They raised two sons, Bruce, who lives in Hadley and Neil, who now lives in California. They have four grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

“When we bought the house on Pocahontas, there was an apple orchard behind us,” Bill said. “Then through the years it kind of just filled in, they built all those homes where the orchard was.”

After retirement, they traveled the country via RV. Their biggest trip was driving up the Alaskan Highway in 1992. “She always wanted to go to Alaska, and I said we’re not gonna’ just stay there for a week, we’re gonna’ stay for the whole damned summer. That was the year they celebrated the 50th anniversary of opening the Alaskan Highway. We were snowbirds, too and went to Florida in the winters.”

So, what was the secret of their successful relationship?

“We always sat down and talked about things and tried not to argue,” Bill said. “We’d sit at the kitchen table and talk about what our problems were at the time. And, it always worked out.”

Added Ro, “Respect one another. Be patient with one another.”

“Be kind to one another and it will work out,” Bill said.