[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 18979-18980]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO EARL AND OPAL WILLIAMS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I stand today to pay tribute to a fine 
and blessed couple, Mr. and Mrs. Earl and Opal Williams of Laurel 
County, KY.
  Earl Williams and Opal Morgan grew up less than 20 miles apart. Earl 
attended Bush High School located east of London, KY, and Opal attended 
Hazel Green High School west of London--yet their paths never crossed 
at the time.
  However, when Earl was 24 years old he set out for Kinzua, OR, some 
2,500 miles away where he began working for the Kinzua Pine Mills 
Company. ``In those days you could not get any work locally, you had to 
leave home and usually go a long ways to find work,'' Earl recalls.
  As fate would have it, a short time later Earl and Opal met after 
Opal traveled to Kinzua to visit her father, who was also employed by 
the Kinzua Pine Mills Company. Eventually, Opal took a job in a local 
factory and decided to stay in Kinzua. ``Our courtship was about 
normal,'' Opal says. ``We dated for about a year and got married 
December 22, 1949, in Goldendale, Washington.''
  In December of 1954, Earl and Opal returned home to Laurel County, 
KY, after spending 2 years in Indianapolis, IN. Earl began a career 
with Water Softener Rental, a company Earl bought into and then later 
purchased outright from his partners, while Opal stayed busy making a 
wonderful home in the house the couple built on the ``Old Williams' 
Farm,'' a house Earl is especially proud of. ``This farm belonged to 
the Williams family during the Civil War,'' he boasts.
  Earl and Opal were married for 7 years before they were blessed with 
four children, sons David, Joe, and Phillip, and daughter Amber. The 
couple is not shy about explaining that their children have been the 
highlight of their lives. ``We enjoyed our boys,'' the couple says, 
``but we were ready for a girl when Amber came along.''
  These days Earl and Opal stay busy tending to their three 
grandchildren and one great-grandson several days a week, and Earl 
still drops by the office daily to ``check on'' his sons. The couple, 
who have been married for over 61 years, claim that their faith and 
dedication to their church, Lick Fork Community Missionary Baptist, has 
played a major role in the success of their lives and marriage over the 
years--the two have been members of the church for over 50 years. ``It 
has been a good life,'' Opal says. ``We got married 61 years ago to 
stay married. We never thought of divorce like young couples do 
today.''

[[Page 18980]]

  Mr. President, Earl and Opal Williams have shared an incredible 
journey together, and their faith in each other, their family, and 
their church has given them a wonderful story to share. Earl and Opal's 
life together serves as an inspiration to the people of Kentucky, and I 
wish them many years of further happiness. The Laurel County-area 
publication the Sentinel Echo recently published an article to share 
the Williams' story with the rest of our great Commonwealth. I ask 
unanimous consent that the full article be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the article was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                 [From the Sentinel Echo, Winter 2011]

                    Finding Love in a Far Off Place

                            (By Sue Minton)

       Earl and Opal were not high-school sweethearts. They did 
     not know each other as teenagers. Both grew up in Laurel 
     County, on opposite ends of the county and attended rival 
     high schools.
       Earl Williams grew up east of London and attended Bush High 
     School. Opal Morgan grew up west of London and attended Hazel 
     Green High School.
       Less than 20 miles separated the two. They may have seen 
     each other at box suppers, the movies or social gatherings, 
     but did not take notice.
       ``In those days you could not get any work locally, you had 
     to leave home and usually go a long ways to find work,'' Earl 
     said.
       For 24-year-old Earl this was Kinzua, Oregon.
       And it was in this lumber company-built town, 2,500 miles 
     from home, that Earl did take notice of Opal.
       The couple met in Kinzua where Earl was working for the 
     Kinzua Pine Mills Company.
       ``Kinzua, Oregon, was built by and for the Kinzua Pine 
     Mills Company,'' Earl said. ``It was a company town, 
     everything was owned by the company, all the stores, even the 
     houses we lived in.''
       Opal went to visit her father, who also worked for the 
     company, and stayed on after meeting Earl, getting a job in a 
     local factory.
       ``Our courtship was about normal,'' Opal said. ``We dated 
     for about a year and got married Dec. 22, 1949, in 
     Goldendale, Washington.''
       ``About all there was to do in this little town was go to 
     the movies,'' she said. ``They showed the same movie all 
     week. So we went once a week.''
       Opal recalls the company having a community building called 
     ``The Pass Time.''
       ``On Saturday nights they had dances and on Sunday mornings 
     the building was cleared out for church,'' she said. ``We 
     didn't care much about dancing; it was just being together in 
     each other's company.''
       The couple returned to Laurel County in December 1954 after 
     leaving Kinzua and spending about two years in Indianapolis, 
     Indiana.
       After returning home Earl went to work with Water Softener 
     Rental. ``I bought into the company in 1957 and later 
     purchased the company from my partners,'' he said.
       While Earl was building a successful business, Opal was 
     making a home for the couple in the house they built on part 
     of the Old Williams' Farm.
       ``This farm belonged to the Williams family during the 
     Civil War,'' Earl said proudly.
       Although their marriage and life was good, the couple 
     wished for a baby.
       ``We were married seven years before this happened,'' Opal 
     said.
       ``We were beginning to think we were not going to have any 
     children.''
       When asked `what was an important milestone or event in 
     their lives?' they answered simultaneously, ``the boys.''
       ``That was probably the highlight of our marriage,'' Earl 
     said, ``when the boys, David, Joe and Phillip, were born.''
       ``Everyone said we changed completely when David was 
     born,'' Opal said. ``I don't know how we changed or how much, 
     but Earl's mother said we did.''
       With only two years between the births of Joe and Phillip, 
     Opal referred to this almost like raising twins.
       ``It would have been nice to have had a girl,'' Opal said. 
     ``But little boys are nice too, and I enjoyed my boys.''
       ``But, we were ready for a girl when Amber came along,'' 
     Earl said.
       ``We have three grandchildren, Amber, James and Matthew, 
     and a great-grandson, Will,'' Opal added.
       Earl and Opal said their marriage had not been different 
     from most couples who have been married for many years. They 
     don't have a magic formula to explain the success of their 
     marriage. They just took their wedding vows seriously.
       ``We never thought of divorce like young couples do 
     today,'' Opal said. ``We got married 61-years ago to stay 
     married. You have your differences but you work through 
     them.''
       ``They should try to work their problems out,'' Earl added.
       ``Couples should not be so quick to get a divorce. If 
     everything does not fall into place for them, they'd get 
     divorced,'' she added. ``But there are some situations when a 
     divorce is the only way.''
       Opal feels it is important for young wives to develop their 
     own lives and interests. ``Married couples should be able to 
     work together, but women need their independence.''
       Their faith and dedication to their church, Lick Fork 
     Community Missionary Baptist, where they have been members 
     for more than 50 years, has contributed to and played a major 
     role in the success of their lives and marriage.
       Although both are in good health, Earl has slowed down some 
     since retiring, but still goes into the office daily `to 
     check on the boys.'
       ``It is nice having him home,'' Opal said. ``Before he was 
     always working at the business or the farm.''
       Opal spends three days a week enjoying and caring for 
     great-grandson Will, the latest boy in the Williams' family.
       When Will's mother, Amber, was asked to comment on her 
     grandparents she said, ``Eric and I were like them (referring 
     to her grandparents), we were married seven years before Will 
     came along. I think it is amazing to have been married for so 
     many years and raised three sons that have been very 
     successful. They were taught good work ethics (which) they 
     are passing on to their children.''
       ``It has been a good life,'' Opal said.
       ``We have had a good married life. It does not seem like 61 
     years; it has went by fast,'' Earl added.

                          ____________________