This is the story of the engagement of Don and Diana Plant. It happened almost forty-nine years ago.
We had met in 1962, when we were sophomores at Ashland College. After our first date, we knew that we would be together forever.
Don bought my diamond ring in the summer of 1963, and he had said he would choose the right time to give it to me. He had tried in on my finger several times, and I had always closed my eyes each time, because I’d wanted to be surprised with the way it looked.
Before we had met, some of Don’s college buddies had introduced him to “Hemlock Falls.” It is a beautiful, secluded woods in Richland County near Pleasant Hill Lake. The landscape is scattered with beautiful ravines and, of course, cascading down one of the ravines is a beautiful falls– hence its name.
Don had said that first time he saw it that someday he would give his future wife her engagement ring in that exact spot, overlooking the falls. He had taken me to that special place several times, but I never knew when it might be “The Day.”
It was Sunday, October 13, 1963, and we were going to Hemlock Falls. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day. I was wearing a dress and Don had on a dress shirt and dress pants. I was secretly wondering if this might be the special day. But as soon as we pulled in, my hopes were dashed!
Since this wasn’t really a public place, the drive that entered from the road wasnt in very good shape. It had deep ruts, and we pulled in, the wheels slid off into a rut and we were hopelessly stuck clear up to the axle.
We were all along, so Don took off his good shirt and began to work in his tee shirt and good pants. I just stood by in my dress and watched, unable to help. Suddenly another couple pulled in. We knew them from college. He and Don walked to the farmhouse nearby and borrowed a chain and he pulled our car out.
By now Don was all dirty, but he said, “We will always remember this day, so we might as well make it special.”
Later, he told me he had really planned for this to be the day, but almost changed it because he thought the day was ruined.
So we walked through the Hemlocks up to the top of the falls and stood on the rock in the special place. There were carved outlines of two pair of feet, and we planted our feet on those spots, and their, under God’s blue sky, with no one else around, Don gave me the ring, and this time I looked.
It was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen. Don threw a 1963 penny over the falls, and as we kissed, a little chipmunk came scurrying out of the brush to be the first one to greet us.
We were married June 12, 1964, and have lived happily ever after. That beautiful setting and the little chipmunk started us out on our beautiful life together.
God has been good to us and even though He didn’t bless us with children, He did bless us with each other and a love and respect for His earth and all the living things on it. In return we have tried to care for the earth and its creatures, and are trying to teach and encourage others to do likewise.
On June 12, 2012, we will celebrate our forty-eighth anniversary. We still often say, as in our favorite song, sung by Jonny Mathis, “Until the twelfth of never, I’ll still be loving you!”
– Diana J. Plant
Originally written February 14, 2010. Revised January 18, 2012
