Mr. And Mrs. Eugene Blakely 65th Wedding Anniversary

Summary

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Seventy four years ago a romance bloomed in the heart of a lovely girl with eyes of blue. Ten years old at the time, Hazel Smallwood and friend Helen were at the local playground in Fairfax, Alabama when a handsome boy passed by on his way to work. Eugene Blakely's job was to change the marques at the local theater. As he passed the girls, Hazel remarked to her friend, "that's the boy I'm going to marry one day." Hazel knew Gene through other family members so by the time they reached seventh grade, they were sitting together in class and even exchanged notes. Gene would leave gifts and candy for the "love of his life." Gene also played football for Valley High School. At 15, his father died. When the rest of the family moved to Pittsburg, PA., Gene chose to stay and work in the textile mill.

Jesse Eugene "Gene" Blakely and Hazel Smallwood, both nineteen, were united in marriage on June 25, 1942 in West Point, Georgia . Gene enlisted in the military and served with the 15th Army Air Corps in southern Italy during WW2. He tested bombers that were damaged in combat but now repaired to see if they were combat ready. He received the European, African, Middle Eastern service medal with two battle stars and other medals for service in the Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno campaigns. Hazel and baby daughter Sherry lived with her parents during the war.

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Mr. And Mrs. Eugene Blakely 65th Wedding Anniversary

Gene returned home to work by night in the textile mill and attend college by day courtesy the GI Bill. He woke each morning at 6am to h...

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