Never too late for love

David and Judy each were married for 52 years before the death of their spouses.

“We come together with 104 years of experience,” Judy said.

“We were both very happily married,” David said. He and his wife, the former Betty Hudelson, raised two children. She died three and a half years ago.

Judy and her husband, Thurman Munger, raised four children. He died four and a half years ago.

“We both recommend second marriages,” Judy said. “Both of us had said we were never going to marry again, but God had other plans for us. I give Him all the praise and glory for it.”

David and Judy are lifelong friends who grew up as next door neighbors and attended school together.

Judy can’t remember a time she did not know David. “We played together as kids,” she said.

“He was one year ahead in school,” she added. They attended Eugene Field School together, which was then also a junior high school. “I had a crush on David in ninth grade but never told him.”

Later both graduated from Hannibal High School. He retired from the Missouri Department of Transportation after 45 years of service. She is retired from the Hannibal Dental Group, where she worked for Dr. Erv Harder.

David had been taking his wife, Betty, to her Class of 1957 lunches once a month and he continued this after Betty’s death. Judy also attended the lunches after Thurman’s death.

Then Judy spent two years helping her daughter, Julie Mann, in St. Louis. Julie was being treated for Gleoblastoma (cancer of the brain), which was diagnosed in January of 2013.

David explained their first date: “All the time Judy was taking care of Julie in St. Louis, I would ask Kay Adams (his classmate and Judy’s friend) how Judy was doing and when she would be coming home, because I would like to take her out to lunch.”

As soon as Judy was home in Hannibal, he contacted her.

“Our first date was to David’s class (1956) luncheon at Game On,” Judy said, where she met another childhood neighbor, Sharon McQueen Williams, whom Judy had not seen for 60 years.

“I knew it was God put us together,” Judy said. They began to go out for lunch, then were “being together all day, falling in love,” she added.

When David proposed Judy did not hesitate to say yes.

“Our children and grandchildren planned the wedding,” she said, which was at her home.

Her son, Nathan, a minister, performed the ceremony. Her son, Alan, and daughters, Julie and Paula, stood with Judy. Julie also made the wedding cakes.

David’s son, David Jr., and daughter, Tammy, stood with David.

Although they were childhood friends, Judy said, “Years later we realized we had never lived more than four blocks apart,” While raising their children the Days lived on Iowa Street and the Mungers lived on Munger Lane.

Later, Judy’s family moved to Settlers Trail and the Days moved to Westwood Drive, also in the same neighborhood. “Both homes are still in the family,” Judy said, “Now we have a summer home (hers, on Lake Apollo) and “we call his our winter home.”

David has been keeping busy with sports since his retirement.

“I play horseshoes and golf once a week, and go bowling.” he said. “I have been secretary of the Businessmen’s Bowling League for 52 years.”

Their future plans include traveling, she said. “We are able to travel and enjoy our families.”

“I didn’t have grandkids, and I got some now,” David said. “I even got a great-grandson.”

Reach Reporter Bev Darr at bev.darr@courierpost.com.