Sample Love Story –Harry and Claire Fenner
How they met and decided to marry: It was 1939 when Claire began her job as a switchboard operator at Northridge Furniture Company. She liked greeting callers; but she was unprepared for the young salesman who sauntered up to her and asked, “Why didn’t they hire a good looking blond?” His sense of humor certainly made an impression, but not a favorable one. Still, he was persistent. So Claire invited him to tend the record player at her parties. We don't know when she changed her mind, but her little brother, Norman, noticed their budding love. One night he and a cousin crept behind the bushes to spy on them. The children were so intent on finding a good spot to watch them that they tripped and fell into the lake.
What place God had in their marriage: When Harry enlisted in the Army in 1941, he first patrolled the coast in nearby Rhode Island; but then his unit was called up for service in the South Pacific. They wanted marry before he left; but many relatives warned Claire, "You will be a pregnant widow, if you do!" So they prayed a novena, and at the end, God reassured them that their love would survive the war. So they married in February, 1943, and made a pact to pray to St Therese for Harry's safety. Then off he went, into the South Pacific as a married soldier.
Their unique gifts that point to God's love: In gratitude for God's careful protection, they named their first daughter, Therese. She was the first of six who were raised in a home shaped by faith in God. You could tell by their commitment to sing in the parish choir and their willingness to take in family, like Aunt Lillie or Claire's parents, whether it was for a few months, or for several years.
