Editor’s note: Lee and John Davis are the parents of Denise Lockwood’s fiancé Larry Davis.
Fifty years of being married to someone is a long time. But Lee (Scott) Davis and Lynn (Scott) Barrows — who happen to be twins — have both managed to be married to their spouses, John Davis and George Barrows, for 50 years.
They renewed their vows at a family gathering in Caledonia on Saturday.
The two sisters married on the same day, but in different churches on July 24. At the time, Lee and Lynn lived in Caledonia, as did John. George was from Union Grove.
John met Lee in a restaurant across the street from Horlick High School where they both went to school. George met Lynn at the Racine County Fair. He told his buddy the day they met that: “He was going to marry that girl.” He proceeded to follow the school bus home from the fair and found out where she lived and the two started dating. About eight months later, they married, George said.
The girls were 17 and their spouses were 18 at the time.
“I thought they were crazy to get married so young,” said Ruth Scott, Lee and Lynn’s mother.
But they did anyway.
John and Lee married in the morning at St. Rita Catholic Church, and George and Lynn married that afternoon at Sturtevant Lutheran Church. But during George and Lynn’s wedding, the church was so packed that Lee couldn’t get into the church. She had to watch hers sister get married through a window outside.
The twins had a joint reception.at the VFW in Racine where over 500 people attended.
When asked how he managed to stay married for so long, George took out his hearing aid and said with a laugh: “Hearing aids, we both have them.”
But in all honesty through the ups and downs of 50 years of being together, George said 90 percent of it has been good.
When asked how he stayed married so long to Lee, John said: “What did you say? I can’t hear you.”
My mini-editorial: Seriously though… I know these people, they have a great sense of humor. They have a deep respect for one another. And they care about each other deeply. And I have to say, it’s pretty cool to be part of their family.