By Brenda L. Holmes
BROWNSBURG — Wayne and Shirley Stockwell wanted to celebrate their love by renewing their wedding vows on their 57th wedding anniversary.
The Stockwells came to the Brownsburg area after Shirley suffered a debilitating stroke. She has been a resident of Brownsburg Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for nearly four years. Wayne visits her every day.
“The only time he misses is if he’s sick,” said Hallie Lyles, one of Shirley’s therapists. “And if he’s sick, he calls and asks us to explain to her why he isn’t going to be here.”
The couple are from Iowa. They met their freshman year of high school.
“I came from a one-room country school into town for high school,” Wayne said. “I met her on the first day. That was 1948. We’ve been together ever since.”
Shirley said when she hears her husband talk about her it makes her heart “flutter, flutter, flutter.”
“A few months ago she asked me if I would want to renew our vows for our anniversary,” Wayne said. “To tell you the truth, I couldn’t think of a good reason not to.”
The staff at Brownsburg Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is very proud of Shirley’s progress and many were visibly touched during the ceremony.
“She’s come a long, long way,” therapist Linda Hathaway said. “When she came, she really couldn’t talk or move from her bed.”
Another therapist, Hallie Lyles, said Shirley was “bed fast” and has worked very hard to improve her range of motion.
“She’s done everything — speech therapy, physical therapy,” Lyles said. “Now she has no restrictions and is doing so much better.”
Shirley cannot walk unassisted as of yet, but did want to take the last few steps to her groom during the ceremony.
With a little assistance, she took four or five steps. She said she was looking forward to kissing her sweetheart.
“That’s the best part,” she added.
The couple was married March 5, 1953, in Las Vegas. They have five children, 12 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.
They lived in Iowa until 1968 when a tornado destroyed their house. The family then moved to Oregon. At one time the couple ran their own restaurant named the Stockwell Café. They later moved to Washington and opened a print shop.
At one time Shirley was a CNA in a nursing home facility. Wayne worked for Microsoft while they lived in Washington. At that time, Shirley worked in electronics.
They loved to travel and spent many miles on the road in their motor home.
The Rev. George Schoonmaker of Westview Baptist Church in Indianapolis performed the double-ring ceremony. He knew the Stockwells because he had worked at Brownsburg Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for 15 years.
“I just retired from here last year,” Schoonmaker said. “They asked me to come back and do the ceremony and I was pleased to come. They are such wonderful people.”
He said he was “just thrilled” to see Shirley’s progress.
“They are a wonderful Christian couple,” he added.
brenda.holmes@flyergroup.com
