May 19, 1973, began a second chance love journey for Odis Tyler and me. Our earthly chapter as lovers closed unexpectedly on June 9, 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 focused on why God left me to carry on alone.
Writing my story has been therapy, and I see our journey as an example of our love for God and each other. My research has helped me understand how God orchestrated time and events to provide a perfect love as we went against all the crazy odds. The story reunited our former love and created a pathway that brought four children to the table 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. As a single working mother, I 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 provided a nice retirement for when he would no longer be here to take care of me.
I love spending time with my daughter, Diane, and granddaughter, Molly. In August, I will welcome my first great-granddaughter, Maddie, as Molly has her first child. (Yay, another pageant girl) I fly to New York for business and to see our daughter Karmyn. I enjoy visiting with my inherited boy’s families in Shreveport and Hot Springs and shopping for shoes. I stay involved in pageants judging and interview coaching. I love playing the piano and keeping up with friends on Facebook.
I recently took a trip back to Conroe, Texas, for the first time in 40 years. I visited our old house on Madeley Street, 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,” the old A/G church, and the old Weisinger Buckalew dealership, both on Frasier Street.
Progress continues, and the church now has a big new church on the interstate. W/B is now Buckalew Chevrolet and a state-of-the-art dealership on I-45. Conroe has grown from 12,000 to near 100,000 population. My friend and former co-worker Sandra Collette and I visited with our former boss, Don Buckalew, in his 80s and still working. Later, I saw my former pastor, Alvin Eaton, who just turned 90 and still working. Must be something in the water. Sandra and I don’t give our age.
While visiting with Buckalew, he said, “You girls could come back to work for me.” We looked at each other and then at him and said, “Uh, No. We are retired.”
Time has marched on for Conroe, as it did for Odis and me. In August 2017, Sandra had a stroke and died 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’m so glad you found love.” I treasure my visit with her.
From the fantasy world of Elizabeth Taylor to my actual world of life with Odis Tyler, I have lived an incredible fairytale love story that most people only dream about.
Why God allowed me to have the life I lived, I don’t know, but I feel special. He gave me a beautiful love to experience, and I treasure the hundreds of love letters Odis left for me to remember his true, pure love!
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