It wasn’t Cupid’s arrow that sparked their love — it was a flashlight.
The year was 1953. Joe Blackmon, a young usher with a job and a beam of confidence, was patrolling the aisles of a movie theater when he spotted her: Yvonne. She was chatting with a friend, completely unaware she was about to be singled out — literally.
With all the subtlety of a spotlight, Joe flicked his usher’s flashlight directly on her.
It wasn’t exactly the traditional way to say “hello,” but it worked.
That bold little beam lit more than her face — it lit the beginning of a love story that’s now 72 years strong.
Today, Joe, 91, and Yvonne, 89, live in Cibolo, Texas, where they recently celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary. And while flashlights have mostly gone out of style, their love still shines just as brightly.
Their senior living community, The Brooks of Cibolo, surprised the couple with a cheerful happy hour to mark the milestone. Glasses clinked, smiles spread, and Joe and Yvonne took it all in — just two young lovebirds with a few more wrinkles and a lot more stories.
(Courtesy of The Brooks of Cibolo)
So what’s their secret?
“It takes a lot of patience,” Joe said with a grin.
Yvonne chimed in, “And a lot of jokes!”
Both agree: a great sense of humor — and, yes, some blessings from above — have been essential ingredients. The kind of laughter that smooths over the rough spots, the patience that carries you through late-night arguments and early morning coffee spills, and the faith that keeps your hearts tethered through time.
Shortly after that first movie-theater moment, Joe and Yvonne started dating. The romance moved fast — as most great ones do. They tied the knot soon after and never looked back.
They built a life that, while perhaps not Hollywood-glamorous, was deeply rooted in love, laughter and daily joy. Joe served in the U.S. Navy, then worked at UPS, and later became a college professor. Yvonne was the heart of the home, raising their two daughters — now 70 and 59 — while creating a life filled with warmth and stability.
Through all the moves, milestones and mealtimes, they did what so many hope to do: they stuck together.
And yes, like any couple with more than seven decades of togetherness, they’ve had their share of ups, downs and the occasional standoff over whose turn it is to control the remote.
But their love endures — not through grand gestures, but in the small, silly, sacred moments. The kind where you finish each other’s stories (and sometimes snacks), know when to speak and when to just hold hands.
In a world where love stories are swiped through on screens, Joe and Yvonne remind us of a time when romance was simpler — when a glance, a grin or a flashlight could change everything.
So here’s to 72 years, two daughters, and one perfectly timed flick of the wrist in a dark theater aisle. Joe and Yvonne’s story proves that sometimes, love really does find you when you least expect it — even if it has to shine a light on you first.
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