EPILOGUE
May 19th, 1973 began a second chance love journey for Odis Tyler and me. Our earthly chapter as lovers closed unexpectedly on June 9th, 2015. It was not a path I ever expected to take and was prepared to go together in the rapture with him. As I continue to follow God and trust Him to fulfill His Plan, I have set my focus on why God left me to carry on alone.
Writing my love story has been therapy for me. I have seen our story as an example of our love for God and each other. I have seen how God orchestrated time and events to provide a perfect love as we went against all the odds and has been amazing. The story reunited our former love and created a pathway that brought 4 children to the table of life and exposed them to a relationship of loving parents, a teaching of the love of God and opportunities they wouldn't have had otherwise. Ten months after we married, a little Suzie was born and was the biggest surprise of all but the most joyful. Each child was educated either formally or with life experiences and grandchildren, and great-grandchildren were added to the mix. As a single working mother, it wasn’t comfortable stepping into the role of a stay at home mom to 3 stepsons. My love for Odis gave me the desire to accept that challenge. Odis’ goal was to love and take care of me and provide an abundant life for me as long as he lived. He has continued that provision when he could no longer be here to give it to me.
I stay active in our community with church events, judging pageants, and keep up with friends and family on Facebook. I spend time with my daughter, Diane, and granddaughter, Molly in Texarkana and fly to New York for business and family time with our daughter Karmyn. I spend time visiting with the boys and their children and grandchildren in Shreveport and Hot Springs.
From a fantasy world of Elizabeth Taylor to the real world of life with Odis Tyler, I have lived a wonderful fairytale love story that most people only dream about.
“Why God allowed the life I lived, I don’t know, but I feel very special that He gave me a beautiful love to experience. I treasure the hundreds of love letters Odis left for me to remember his true, pure love.”
Diane received two master’s Degrees from Texas A&M Texarkana and recently became Principal certified. She is currently At-Risk Coordinator for the Behavior Adjustment Class & Disciplinary Alternative Education Campus at Liberty Eylau ISD. Diane has two daughters, Molly Suzann, 26 and Maggie Catherine, 19. Maggie was killed in a tragic car accident on her way to work, on September 19, 2013. Diane resides in Texarkana with her husband.
Karmyn attended Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana and became MissLouisiana 1995. She received an Associate Degree in Music and Drama from Texarkana College and a Bachelor’s Degree in Administration at Texas A&M Texarkana and had a successful acting career in Dallas before moving to Los Angeles in 2006. She currently resides in Manhattan with her husband where she performs and teaches voice with numerous students who are Country music artists and appearing on Broadway.
Jeff attended Southwestern Assemblies of God College in Waxahachie, Texas, He has two sons, Josh and Daniel and two grandchildren. He is in full-time ministry and began a Night Watch ministry while living in Atlanta, Georgia. Currently, Jeff resides in Iowa.
Mark attended DeVry college in Dallas, Texas and Garland County Community College in Hot Springs, Arkansas. A commercial driver for several years he trained as an EMT and paramedic and currently a 911 dispatcher for the Hot Springs Police Department. Mark married his high school sweetheart, Dawn in 1986, and they have two sons Seth and Cody. Mark passed away in Hot Springs, Arkansas in August 2018.
Tim married the love of his life, Tammy in 1996. He received specialized training in roofing and was a commercial truck driver. Tim has four boys, Tim, Dalton, Shon and Dusty, and two girls Brandy and Sandy and three grandchildren. Tim died of lung cancer in 2016. Tammy resides in Doyline, Louisiana with their sons, Shon and Dusty.
Dalton married Joanna Rogers in 1975 and five years later had a daughter, Tasha. He retired from printing and currently resides in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
JoAnn moved from Waco to Nashville, Tennessee where she has managed several successful country music artists including Barbara Mandrel and Roy Clark. She formed her own company, World Class Talent in 1983. Currently, residing in Nashville, JoAnn is the market director for CBN. She still manages artists part time and has recently signed several new artists.
James and Racine Smith had three daughters, LaDonna, Kathy and Carolyn and one son, DeWayne. They were owners of Smith Printing Company until he retired. James died of dementia in 2010. DeWayne died with complications of juvenile diabetes in 2004. Racine currently resides in an over 55 apartment duplex in Texarkana, Texas.
Margaret Anne Edwards Duke lived in Texarkana and adopted two girls. Jimmy passed away in 1984 unexpectedly of a heart attack at the age of 38. Margaret remarried two times and had a son. She passed away in 2002 while living in Oklahoma. They transported her to Texarkana for graveside services and were late getting there so she fulfilled our prediction of ‘being late for her own funeral.’
Danny was drafted in 1961. He served in the Army, and left the printing profession and went into business for himself in 1965. After serving in the Army, he married Ioma in 1964, and they had two daughters. His wife died in 1987. He currently resides in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
I recently took a trip back to Conroe, Texas for the first time in 40 years. I was able to visit the old dealership, the house on Madeley Street which is now a parking lot for the Catholic Church and my old apartment at Caesar’s Palace. It looked the same except they had filled in the swimming pool. I visited the shopping center where JoAnn had her shop “What’s Happenin” and the old church on Frasier Street. Progress goes on, and the dealership is now Buckalew Chevrolet and has relocated to I-45, and the church now has a big new church also on the interstate. It has grown from 12,000 to close to 100,000 population. I visited with my former pastor, Alvin Eaton who just turned 95 and my former boss, Don Buckalew in his 80’s and my friend and former co-worker Sandra and we don’t give our age. Time has marched on for Conroe as it did for Odis and me.
In August 2017, Sandra had a stroke and passed away a few weeks later. She had the opportunity to read my book and was in awe at the love Odis had for me. She told me, “Sue, he really loved you.” I treasure my visit with her.
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