Mary Minchew’s parents (Walt Minchew and Billie Minchew along with Mary's brother Alan Minchew) moved to Topeka Kansas around 1964 when she was ten. When they came to their first worship service at the Central Church of Christ in Topeka, Donald Conley immediately noticed the young girl and was struck by with her angelic appearance, warm smile and apparent charm (they were late in arriving to service, as was always their custom). Don had been offered the opportunity to experience "first true love". He never loved her for her physical beauty, though that was always apparent, especially by her high school age, but rather for the inner beauty that was clearly apparent to him. He somehow felt closer to God when he gazed upon her face. These feelings have remained the same even to this very day. Some time later at the age of 12, both Mary and Don along with Mary’s friend Sherry and Don’s brother Ron were baptized at the same time, one of many coincidences that occurred throughout their lives (Don’s father calls it God’s providence). Shortly after their baptism, the young boy made a fervent prayer, perhaps even a foolish one as young naive boys are given to do, offering to serve the Lord faithfully for his life asking if the Lord might in return grant his sole request for the heart of Mary. Later in his life the young man would come to realize the Lord is not in the habit of making deals, none the less, the agreement had been offered. Throughout this time, Don's feelings for the young girl continued to grow. He suffered terribly from the curse of being unable to speak every time she was around (his mother also notice a persistent lack of appetite whenever he was in her presence, which continues even to a recent family get together with Don being 45 and in Mary’s presence).

Around 1966, Mary Minchew’s family moved to Fort Worth Texas. Several times over the next six years Don and his family made occasional visits to see Mary and her family. Mary recalls Don as being a "cute" quiet young man. Often when Don and others would visit Mary and her family, he would take great pains to never sit opposite of her for fear that she might be able to look directly in his eyes and discover his true feelings. She never noticed that he always chose to sit beside her just out of the range of her peripheral vision. This allowed the young man to gaze upon her at his leisure without being noticed. Don was six months younger than Mary was and as a result he was one grade behind her. This was unacceptable to him and he began to plan a means to graduate a four-year high school in just three years. This would allow him to attend the college Mary had indicated she was going to, ACC at the same time. Don’s enthusiasm and drive to accomplish this task was so strong that his twin brother Ron chose to do the same. Both boys had to spend all their summers between semester breaks attending summer school. In May 1972, both seventeen-year-olds graduated one year early. The die was now cast; all Don had to do was get to Abilene and tell Mary of his true feelings dating back seven years.

Shyness can be a terrible obstacle for young men and upon arriving for the fall semester of 1972 at ACC, Don found his courage failing. He had developed a habit early that semester of waiting to see Mary go to her seat in chapel on the opposite side of Moody Coliseum. He watched for her arrival enthusiasm everyday. Then he would discretely observe her as she usually walked from the chapel to the post office where she checked her mail daily. He was always worried that he might bump into her and be expected to converse with her. On one day in particular, Don noticed a distinct difference in her composure after opening what appeared to be a piece of mail. He noticed a melancholy look he had never been accustomed to seeing in her usual appearance. Now was the perfect time he thought to approach her. As he approached her standing under the student center clock, he began to doubt his right to tell her his true feelings or to be worthy of her returning them. As besets many teenagers he was concerned about the potential rejection and embarrassment. He hesitated for only a moment and then the moment was gone. Later in the week the disappointment he felt was replaced by a sense of determination. When a recruiter from York College offered him the opportunity to make something of himself and then return to her as a more determined and potential match at a later date. So he left her for three semesters in order to determine his reputation and gain maturity. And so he did. He become the lead in a popular school rock band and a more resolved Christian young man, with more confidence than he had ever had before. Many of Don’s accomplishments in his young life at that time were due to his dedication to the Lord, his family, but also to his hopes of winning the heart of Mary. In his heart Don always gave the credit for his accomplishments to the influence of the strong spirited young Christian girl rather than himself.

In the fall of 1974 he once again returned to ACC more determined than ever to tell her. Yet again the demons of his past cost him another opportunity in the student center to tell Mary of his fondness for her. Once more he left alone, broken-hearted and frustrated. He would return one last time two years later to find her engaged and lost to him forever. Southern Christian young men are raised to respect strong moral values and standards. Knowing she would now belong to another man, he promised himself he would grant her the life of happiness she now had before her that he had failed to offer her. He could never tell her now of his true feelings nor was he likely to ever gain the chance again. It was the lowest point of his existence and the greatest struggle for his faith.

Now he began to doubt that God even listened to ten-year-old boys and their foolish prayers. Mary and Don had now gone their separate ways, perhaps forever. The years passed, both made their way through the world having families and trying to remain faithful to God. Their lives paralleled so many times in so many ways. Even their tragedies were the same. Time heals all wounds, isn’t that how the saying goes? God does in fact keep his word and in the winter of 1999 Don once again would find his chance to embrace the future he had always prayed for.

 Ironically Mary and Don were living within ten miles of each other’s homes (another coincidence) for the last sixteen years and they never knew it. Both of their previous marriages ended between 1993 and 1994. They had each remained single custodial parents of their children ever since taking sole care of their children and making their children the priority in their lives.

On a happenstance in November of 1999, Donald Conley had the "coincidence" of receiving an email from a former alumnus friend from ACU that caused him to ask about two old friends, one of who was Mary. The friend mention that he thought she was single again and living in Carrollton Texas. Not sure of the exact nature of Mary’s family life, Don made some discreet inquires to determine her situation. Upon realizing that Mary was available Don sought information on Mary’s address and phone number. For days he sat staring at the small piece of paper he had written it on. Once again his demons consumed him. Time and the influence of God can overcome many difficulties in one’s life and for one brief moment in Don’s life he became inspired. He thought of contacting her folks instead. So he found her parent’s address and phone number and called her mother, Billie. Billie Minchew was glad to hear from him, but immediately pointed out that Mary had finally developed a relationship with a man from their congregation. Don’s heart sank one more time, however this time he was more determined to make an effort. So he asked if he could send a letter to her parents and one for Mary. He even told them to feel free as her parents to read it before sending it on to Mary. He stated he did not wish to contact her directly since he did not want to interfere in her potential happiness, but he wanted to give her his address and phone number. For six months nothing came of the effort and once more Don doubted his ability to ever share his feelings for Mary with her.

Then one night in June 2000, the phone rang and Don’s son Matthew answered. Matthew asked his father if he knew someone named “Mary Minchew”. Don was now face to face with a reality he had never dared conceive since twenty-eight years previously. His heart raced his voice shook yet he struggled to remain composed. He was surprised at the familiarity of her voice she sounded exactly the same as she had when she was sixteen. She immediately offered to meet him the next evening. Once again Don’s mistakes of the past bore down on him. Was she still the same beautiful person on the inside that he had always loved or had life and the tragedy of it wore away at her inner self? Was he still the inner person who had loved her over the long years? He did what was to him unthinkable, he turned down her request for a date (Yes … I said he turned her Down) and instead asked if he could have a second chance in forty days? He also asked if he could call her during that waiting period. This allowed him to determine if the person he had loved for so long still remained within her. It would also give her the opportunity of finally coming to know him. Much to Don’s surprise Mary agreed to the idea (though I don’t know why). Now the clock was ticking and their future was in God’s hands.

Night after night he called her always probing to find the little girl he had so loved and always sharing bit by bit a portion of his inner self with her. They grew fonder of each other and more trusting. They played a game "Truth or Dare" over the phone. In the version of the game they played one person asks a question the other person can choose to answer or not. Should they choose not to answer, then that same person gets to ask a second question that the other person is obligated to answer. Over time Mary realized that Don had been in love with a "first true love" that he was unwilling to reveal to her. So she used the game to learn the truth. She asked him the one question she knew he would not answer, whether or not he was in love with her. Upon his unwillingness to answer she then asked him the name of his "first true love". The moment had finally come; Don was now trapped between his commitment to his word and his concern for what she might say. With great apprehension he mumbled "it was you"! Now she finally knew the truth and to Don’s great surprise she told him she was glad it was her.

They were less than a week away from their scheduled meeting at Lewisville Church of Christ with their children and parents in tow. With only a day or two to go till they would meet, Mary did one of the few things that southern Texas men cannot resist. She "dared" him to tell her his true feelings. Now was the ultimate moment of Don’s existence; would he retreat as before or finally confide in her? With a deep swallow he said "I love you" and she to his amazement responded in kind. All that was left now was the reality that for once in his life Don would finally have to look the girl of his dreams in the eyes knowing she knew exactly how he had felt for thirty-six years. On Sunday July 23^rd, 2000, Don finally met her, twenty-six years after he had last gazed on her. On this day he stopped running away, looked her in the eyes, embraced her and whispered in her ear as he hugged her "you are everything I dreamed you’d be" while their families looked on.

Don gave her a red hand journal later that day, along with a bookmark and a red pin with a heart on top. He said it would be "Our Diary" of all the special moments, the events that had brought them together and the reasons they would find every day for being and remaining in love. This "record" would be the proof of their love and commitment to each other. Should either one of them ever doubt the love the other had for them, all they would need to do is read the journal again. Mostly though, Don wanted the journal for them so that when the Lord called either of them, the other would have the comments each of them made on a daily basis to remind and rekindle their undying and devoted love for each other. For the one left behind, the journal would be their bridge across the gulf of death to hold their love together till they could be once again reunited on the other side. Mary and Don do believe "love springs eternal".

Now only one thing remained for Don to do. He would finally need to return to ACU with her and do what was impossible for him to do twenty-eight years earlier. He would have to return to that place and moment in time where he had failed her before, face his demons and defeat his own doubts to win her hand. For this he asked the university’s assistance for he would have to face public humiliation of a kind unimaginable to him to truly be worthy of her hand. The more humbling the challenge that lay before him the greater the demand would be for his demonstration of love for her. This brings us full circle. The story is not over, for on August 19^th, 2000, we will finally see if the once shy young man is truly willing to embrace his demons publicly for the little angel he has loved for 36 years.

The Conclusion of the Story…

On Saturday August 19th, 2000 at 4 PM in the afternoon, Don allowed himself to be humbled in the Abilene Christian University student center under where the old four-cornered clock had once stood while Mary looked on. He did this in order to pay his penance for having failed her 28 years earlier. The majority of the new freshman class was in the student center at that time for orientation (approximately 600 people). All movement in the student center momentarily came to a halt while the event was unfolding. At the end of the event he told her that he loved her for all these years and then he proceeded to propose. At 4:20 PM Saturday August 19th, 2000 he presented her with an engagement ring and 3 dozen roses. Two dozen red roses, one dozen for each time he had failed her previously and one dozen fire & ice white roses for this time when he finally succeeded. She immediately replied "YES"! The university threw a reception for the two of them only feet away from that very spot. So you see...Love Does Spring Eternal. They were married at the Lewisville Church of Christ, 901 College Parkway, Lewisville Texas, on December 16th, 2000 at 3 PM. They honeymooned in Durango Colorado for a week, during which Don almost fell off the mountain twice, once with his new bride looking on. Thank You Lord for that angel who watched out for us on that day!

For those of you who hope for something similar, just remember, true romance comes only from the Heart where True Love Resides.

Don & Mary