Duane & Joan
Established- June 6th, 1954
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What was your first date ever?
Duane: Mine was a neighbor girl in highschool, I dated her for a year, year and a half and that was it.
Joan: For me, no matter where we went we walked. We would walk to the park for a concert. Going to get a Coke at the Pharmacy.
Duane: As a side note, my friends and I would always go to the next town to get a sandwich after dates. We were pretty cheap.
2. Worst date you ever went on?
Joan: I double dated with one of my college roommates. She had a date arranged and my friend and I went along because she had to find two dates. It was strange, and awkward, and I won't go any further than that.
Duane: I was living in Denver, I'd dated once or twice, a friend's cousin. We went out a couple of times, nothing spectacular, I just remember it didn't work out.
4. What was your “type” when you were dating?
Joan: There was a group of 6 girs and 6 guys all involved in music and that was the root of a lot of my dating.
Duane: In highschool we were mostly with friends. I didn't date so much as just spend time with those people.
Joan: It was all much more casual, we'd get together. Maybe we felt more comfortable with those friends.
6. How did you describe the other person to your friends before you introduced them?
Duane: She was a girl from Kingman who knew my aunts family. But that's all I remember.
Joan: I remember he was quiet. I remember he was tall, and he liked all kinds of music. One of the first gifts he gave me was concert tickets.
Duane: I kept thinking, what's coming next.
I introduced myself as Don Curry. Turned out they had a friend named Don Curry in town. A few weeks later when I met her parents I had to come clean to them and tell them it wasn't my name. She already knew. I remember when we met she seemed very nice, didn't really seem like a pick up kind of girl.
3. What did you like about being single?
Duane: I had more money.
Joan: No, I was always so busy with school, or music, I was just very very busy. We did lots of group activities so I didn't do much single stuff.
5. How did you meet?
Duane: I was getting ready for my first teaching job in Pratt, a friend and I were over in Kingman for a drive and we happened to see these two girls walking around Kingman. So we stopped to talk a while. We wound up going for a drive that night, and ended up dating.
Joan: In our generation you called it picking them up. I didn't expect him to show up when he ask me on a date.
7. What do you remember about the “define the relationship” conversation?
Duane: I don't necessarily remember the conversation. But I do remember I never felt any kind of jealousy. I knew that was a big deal.
Joan: Things just had a way of working out. It was what it needed to be.
9. Did you give anything up for this relationship?
Duane: A lot of nighttime driving. There were times I was taking her back to the bus and I don't remember how I got home that night. We were a little over 100 miles apart when we started dating.
Joan: So maybe sleep?
8. Did anything about your relationship surprise you at first?
Joan: How outgoing he's gotten to be.
Duane: We go to the store and I stop to talk to people and she's like, "Come on!"
Joan: He was so quiet.
Duane: I don't get surprised very easily.
10. What do you think the most challenging moment in your relationship was up to now?
Duane: Back in the old days it was finances. When we were first married I sold leather goods I made to buy groceries. We'd also have to move every summer to Missouri for summer school. I was on the GI bill, but it was always struggle.
Joan: For me, I was the first child to get married, and I was the eldest. I remember the feeling that if we spent time with one family at a holiday we had to spend time with the other. There was definitely competition there.
11. What’s your favorite part of the relationship now?
Joan: Just knowing that he's going to take the trash out. It's the little stuff.
Duane: Knowing she's going to help make the bed. Sometimes you do the extra stuff to take care of each other.
12. What inspires you about your partner?
Joan: Knowing that he's dependable. His driving skills are...
Duane: Watch it. I don't ever mention hers.
Joan: White knuckle experience.
Duane: I've never met a better cook. Our daughter teaches cooking and says she got most of her recipes from her. And our grandchildren have a love of reading. She gave that to them.
13. What advice would you give to your single selves about relationships?
Joan: Look out. Just when you think you have it figured out, that's not the way it is. Which can be good and bad. I believe that.
Duane: Agree with her. That's good advice.
