What started as a flicker of light in a movie theater turned into a real-life love story that’s lasted 72 years — and counting.
CIBOLO, Texas — A 72-year-old romance that started in a movie theater — but not on the screen.
The year was 1953, and Joe Blackmon was an usher at the theater. While on the job, someone in the audience caught his attention.
Enter Yvonne, who was talking with her friend. Blackmon used his flashlight to shed a light on her to start a conversation.
Little did he know, he was shedding a light on the love of his life, as they quickly started dating.
Shortly after, they were married.
72 years and two daughters later, 91-year-old Joe and 89-year-old Yvonne are still together, living out their own romantic comedy.
The Brooks of Cibolo, their senior living community, recently surprised them with a happy hour to celebrate 72 years of marriage.
Joe served in the US Navy, worked for UPS and became a college professor. Yvonne, a homemaker, focused on raising their two daughters, now 70 and 59 years old.
In a world where many people swipe to find their match, Joe and Yvonne are examples of love found not through the light of a cell phone, but through the light of a flashlight.
To learn more about The Brooks of Cibolo, click here.