LOVE’S FIRST TOUCH
By Celia Yeary
In today’s world, we fall in love and get married, or dream of falling in love, or we thought we were in love but learned better.
I’ve often wondered about our forefathers…our “foremothers?”…falling in love and marrying the man they chose. Did they?
My paternal grandfather at age twenty left home and wandered about for a while, until he came to the Moore farm in North Texas and asked for a job. The family had a fourteen-year-old daughter. After a while he decided he wanted to marry her. The father promised him he could marry his daughter when she became a little older. I believe my grandmother loved my grandfather. They lived a good happy life, had one daughter, and five sons.
Most pioneer women had little choice for one reason or another, but being the romantic I am, I do love to fantasize about these unique women marrying the man they chose. In fact, some of our well-known Texas pioneer women did just that.
Henrietta Chamberlain married Robert King, and together they built a ranching empire—The
King Ranch in the Wild Horse Desert of South Texas. Henrietta was a tall, lovely young woman when she met and married Robert King. In her own words, she describes her happiness:
“When I came as a bride in 1854, a little ranch home then — a mere jacal as Mexicans would call it — was our abode for many months until our main ranch dwelling was completed. But I doubt if it falls to the lot of any a bride to have had so happy a honeymoon. On horseback we roamed the broad prairies. When I grew tired my husband would spread a Mexican blanket for me and then I would take my siesta under the shade of the mesquite tree.”
This was a happy marriage.
Molly Ann Dyer married rancher Charles Goodnight. In May of 1877, Charles and Molly built a two-room cabin in Palo Duro Canyon in the Panhandle of Texas. The nearest neighbors were 75 miles away from where Molly Goodnight established the first ranch household in the Texas Panhandle. In her biography, she explains how happy she was, although left alone much of the time. She loved her husband.
Luvenia Conway Roberts was called Lou by her beloved husband Dan Roberts. At 
age 33, Dan Roberts was a fine specimen of a man, tall, lanky, and strong. He joined Company D of the Frontier Battalion of the Texas Rangers in 1874, when the rangers were reorganized to offer protection to pioneers on the Texas frontier. When Dan was ordered to go into Indian country, he asked to take his new wife along. She agreed and was eager to travel with the Rangers.
In her own words:
“My friends thought I was courageous; in fact quite nervy to leave civilization and go into Indian country. But it did not require either. I was much in love with my gallant captain and willing to share his fate wherever and whatever it might be. Besides, the romantic side of it appealed to me strongly. I was thrilled with the idea of going to the frontier, the home of the pioneer.”
Ahhh, true love.
Prairie Rose Publications is growing by leaps and bounds. I was so pleased they wanted to include one of my sweet love stories in a Boxed Set titled “Love’s First Touch.” It includes stories from five authors.
LOVE’S FIRST TOUCH is powerful and sweet. It can move the heart to realize the true depth of emotion that only a first love can bring to a relationship. There’s some exciting reading ahead in these five full-length novels! Come join these wonderful characters as they experience awakening feelings and tumultuous relationships that can only be discovered with LOVE’S FIRST TOUCH!
WISH FOR THE MOON by Celia Yeary—Sixteen-year-old Annie McGinnis wishes for a chance to see more of the world, since all she’s ever known is the family farm in North Texas. Then she meets Max Landry.
FLY AWAY HEART by Sarah J. McNeal—Lilith Wilding can’t remember a time when she didn’t love the English born Robin Pierpont.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING by Meg Mims— Lily Granville, heiress, rebels against her uncle’s rules. Ace Diamond, determined to win Lily, invests in a dynamite factory.
DRINA’S CHOICE by Agnes Alexander— To escape her abusive father, Drina Hamilton feels she has no choice but to become the wife of a rancher she only knows from the one letter his uncle has written her.
DIGGING HOLES IN PARADISE by Karen Mihaljevich—In 1859 Missouri, Josette Stratton discovers that a chance identity switch gives her an out from a marriage mandated by her father—and allows her to work as a seamstress.
I would love to Gift an ebook copy of this Boxed Set to a lucky person who leaves a comment.
Celia Yeary-Romance…and a little bit ‘o Texas
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/celiayeary
Sources:
The Handbook of Texas On-Line
Wikimedia
Wikipedia
Texas Tears and Texas Sunshine
In a world where many couples give up on their marriages when things get to tough for them to handle, these were very strong women to marry and live this hard lifestyle of ranching women.
So, true. Janine. I would never have left the East Coast! These women were tough..more so than I could ever be. Thanks for visiting.
That life would have had to be hard! The set sounds like we would meet some more hard working women and romance!
Too hard for me, Deanna! I’m a wimp. Thanks for your comment.
Hi Celia, welcome back! Always wonderful to have you. I love your blog. Sometimes we forget these women who stood behind (or at the side of) strong men. I think that’s because their husbands did such extraordinary things that they overshadowed their wives. But that’s a shame. I have so much admiration for Molly Ann Goodnight, Henrietta King and all those others. They were equally as strong as their men and they faced lots of hardships that would bring lesser women to their knees.
Wishing you the best of luck! The box set looks amazing.
Linda–we do tend to say “behind every good man is a good woman.” But it truly should be “Beside.” It’s encouraging to read about women who were equal to their men. Henrietta Kind actually made the King Ranch what it became. Her husband died before his time, and she stepped in. I, too, love to read about Molly Goodnight–she was quite a woman. The story goes that being so alone, she made her chickens into pets and would not kill any of them.
The boxed set is pretty dang good, for sure. Cheryl and company know how to put something intriguing together. Thanks for your comment.
Hi Celia! Well, much as I love to write about the old west, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have lasted all that long on the frontier. LOL Of course, if we’d lived back then, we’d have no knowledge of what we were giving up in this day and age. Great post–I love reading about these brave women.
I also wanted to again say how much I love Wish for the Moon, your book that is included in this boxed set. This is really a wonderful story–all the stories in this set are just excellent. Thanks for letting us include WISH FOR THE MOON in this set–it’s one of those stories you just don’t forget after you’ve read it. Those characters are sooooo real!
Cheryl
Listen..I wouldn’t last five minutes. However, if you and I had been placed in that time of history, who knows what we might have done! Thanks for including Wish for the Moon in the boxed set–it’s my first boxed set. Well, right now, it’s my only boxed set. Thank you so much for stopping by–I know you’re busier than a one-armed paper hanger!
Hi, Celia, thank you for telling the stories of these ladies. Great pictures! The History Channel occasionally runs a show about Oliver Loving and Charles Goodnight whose adventure inspired Lonesome Dove, of course. I loved hearing about the women behind the men, who were equally as fascinating. These men and women led incredible lives. You couldn’t make this stuff up! It’s good we remember them.
Like you, I do enjoy learning about women in the Old West who became as good as…or better…than their men. Many have amazing stories, as you know, too. Here in San Marcos, Texas at Texas St. Univ., one top floor of the tall Alkek library is The Witliff Exhibits. He wrote the screenplay for Lonesome Dover from Larry McMurtry’s novel Lonesome Dove. Displays hold some of the clothing the actors and actresses wore, etc., and best of all…large black and white photos of all the characters in costume. I could stand and stare at Robert Duval all day!
Thank you for visiting my post today.
I always wondered what things were really like back then… the choices one would have to make… thanks for sharing your post with us today!
Thank goodness we only have to “wonder” and not have the same experiences! Thank you for stopping by P&P today and commenting.
I know that many women didn’t have much choice or much to choose from but I would like to think that romance played a big part in their choosing. Iim just a big romantic! I would hope that hard wor together and dreams from both would bring them closer and closer 🙂
Cori–oh, I’m a born romantic..with my head in the clouds, my mother would say, or Pollyana, as I was often called by my girlfriends. Nothing wrong with that, is there? I always look for the happy ending. Thanks for visiting today.
Both my grandmothers were strong women who I looked up too. Many ups and downs in both marriages but they stayed strong. 60 years for 1. 52 years for the other.
Kim–yes, long marriages were more common back then..unless death took one away. Today, it’s not so common to see long marriages, but when I do, I feel good about it.
Thank you.
I loved these pioneer romances, Celia. Thank you so much for mentioning Love’s First Touch. I feel so privileged being included in this collection with you.
Sarah! Yea us! I hope a few new readers pop up and read our love stories. Sigh. Thank you for stopping by.
Hi Celia, I so enjoyed the information on your grandparents. Wow, that’s young. How old was she when they married? I too like to think these “marriages of opportunity” ended up with deep love. And I do know women married younger back then.
The boxed set is gonna be a great read, I know…I just have to find the time. I’d waiting for me in my Kindle app. May it bring you all much success! xoxox
Tanya–actually, she was only 13, but I really hated saying that. The group photo of her and her family, with my future grandfather in the back row with a suit and a hat…a grown man…she is holding her doll. Can you imagine? I have the group photo framed and I sometimes look at that and wonder..good Lord. He was a man and she was a child! But events such as this did happen. What can we say? I adored my grandfather..he was thin and wiry and funny and loving. My granny? She could make anything taste like heaven and when we visited from West Texas, she let me sleep with her in her big feather bed. Papa? He slept across the room in a narrow hard bed. Loved them both with all my heart.
Celia, it’s so good to see you in the corral! As always, you’ve presented a wonderful, educational post. This is why I stalk you: I’m hoping I’ll acquire, by osmosis, a fraction of what you know. If not, I always have the opportunity to kidnap you. 😉
I wish all y’all the best with this boxed set. Having read all the stories, I can say for certain that anyone who buys or wins a copy will be buried in sweet love stories for weeks. 🙂
You’re stalking me? Eeeek! Or…Woooooow! Either one, I am thrilled. I actually know very little, but I do know how to research and learn what I want to know. Stay tuned, because her father’s story is by far more interesting. I started with the daughter to lead into the life of her father…C.W. Post. I hope you like this one, too.
Kathleen..did I reply to your comment? I’m so mixed up. I had two blogs up today, and believe me, I can barely cope with one! Hey, sometimes I wish someone would kidnap me and take me away…to a mountain top, a beach..or..a shopping mecca! Thanks.
It just so happens there’s a beach five blocks from me. Kidnapping in progress.
Um… Wait! Forget I typed that. Kidnapping loses the element of surprise when one warns the intended victim.
Fascinating stuff, Celia. I hope many of those women were happy with their marriages!
Morgan–it’s hard to imagine, isn’t it? I can’t. Most of us live in a mundane, secure, lovely life…and not have to worry about ALL THAT MONEY!
A wonderful blog post, Celia. I’d glad I didn’t miss it. I like to think that some of that courageous pioneer blood runs in our veins today. And some of the passion and commitment as well. The boxed set sounds like a great read from well-chosen authors, only two of whom I know personally. I wish it much success.
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. I know you’ve read the story I have in it, and I thank you for that. Yes, I, too, think we might have the pioneer spirit in our hearts, but maybe our bodies might not do so well!
I have always believed there was a balance between marrying for love and marrying for need. Still, one never knew what life would offer. Most I think made the best of it. I truly enjoyed this post. Now I need to figure out if I am romantic or not. (Grin)
Doris..oh, I think you’re a romantic, just like most of us. Need–yes, that definitely was a reason for marriage during the early days of our country. Thank you!
As hard as life was and as limited the options were for women, one would hope most marriages were at least happy and comfortable if not true love matches. There were many mail-order brides who married men they barely knew. Hopefully, those relationships developed into friendships and later into loving unions.
If you go back many generations in our family, you will find what may have been the first mail-order brides in the Americas. France had settled what would become Eastern Canada, but there were very few women except for the native indians. To promote permanent settlements, the king sent over 700 Fils de Roi, King’s Daughters, to New France between 1663 and 1673 to marry and establish a strong, settled, french presence. A bit more information can be found here – http://www.lookbackward.com/perrault/filleroi/ I can’t imagine the tenacity it took. Most came from the Paris area and sailed to a rustic frontier life with few amenities and the danger of indian attacks. I would hope these relationships developed a loving bond.
Patricia–I have never heard this story. Fascinating, and apparently it worked. Canada does have that strong French connection and flavor. I, too, hope the marriages at least offered some kind of commitment and happiness. I’ll look into the link, and thanks.
Great post, Celia! I like to think that there were a lot of love matches in the past. It seems to me that at least most of the marriages that weren’t arranged by families as business transactions would need to have at least a bit of attraction to start off and hopefully it grew to much more than simple attraction.
Glenda–yes, surely the matchmaker/families would try to make matches between somewhat suitable parties. It makes sense they would, because it would give the experiment a greater success. Thanks for the comment.
Thank you for this great post and your wonderful giveaway!
You are welcome, Melanie. Thanks.
I enjoyed reading your post. I am a romantic also. I would hope that a lot of those couples married for love. I will just think that they did:).
Thank you for the post.
Mary B. We are in agreement, then. A marriage is always best if there is some emotional connection. Thanks for your comment.
I enjoyed reading about the three young woman who married their first loves and found happiness. I’m glad it inspired you and your author friends to write the First Love anthology.
Laurie G…I’m glad you liked it. The list is much longer of what I call True Texas Love Stories…Thanks.
Enjoyed your topic choice, Celia; it hit home a bit. My maternal great grandmother, Elizabeth Sprouse Holmes, married Hardy Pleasant Holmes (family said Oliver Wendell Holmes was a relative, but this has not been researched for fact) and never called him anything but “Mr. Holmes.” As was true of most couples in the 19th century, they had almost a dozen children, but Mrs. Holmes told my grandmother, Myrtle, and likely some of the other children as well, that Mr. Holmes never loved her. Was the marriage arraigned or one of some necessity? That I don’t know, but I do know Hardy Holmes had quite a temper–he would whip his horses to the ground and his lashing did not stop once they were down: he must have been an extremely unhappy man. Evidently, he shared that misery with his long-suffering wife. She died of what was apparently stomach cancer when she was not yet 50 years old. Hardy remarried soon after and left Baylor County, Texas (Bomarton) for the orange groves of Santa Ana, CA. You can see why I appreciated your blog: I would say Elizabeth (Betty) loved her handsome husband dearly. Unfortunately, this love was not mutual, seemingly.
Hi, Shella! I’m surprised to see you here, but I am so happy. The story of your maternal grandmother is sad. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d married a harsh hateful man…especially one who beat his horses. He probably hit her, too. I’m guessing. I’ve never been struck in my life, only remember one spanking…and I’ve always though that would never work with me. But in those days, trues, many had no choice. Thanks so much for visiting Petticoats and Pistols.
What a nice post. I love romance. My grandparents were married a little over 50 years. She was 15 and he was 20 when they got married and we heard lots of funny stories, mostly gripes, because my grandmother was a born complainer. When my grandfather would get mad he would storm out of the house, “I’m leaving!” And sleep in the car in the driveway. As I approach 50 years of marriage myself I realize, though, that although we heard all those stories we never learned how they met or why they got married in the first place. My grandmother came from a large family and had to assume a lot of responsibility. Was she trying to get away? Was it true love? We’ll never know. My kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids have all heard our story: we went to school together, for my 14th birthday I invited everyone, including the big mouth new guy, who stayed late and told me he would give me a call when his schedule cleared. I guess it cleared quickly because I heard from him at 7:30 the next morning and we’ve been together since.
Sally–I love your story about your grandparents. Fifteen is awfully young to marry, but it was not uncommon then. My maternal grandparents had this same age difference, she was fifteen at their marriage and he was closer to 22.
Even we married when I was barely 18, my husband was 24. We met when I was 17, a jr. in high school, and he’d just come home from a military stint in France. You’d think my parents would have a fit..but they were pleased. We just celebrated 57 years. Thanks so much for you comment.
Loved the post, Celia. And as a PRP groupie, I know the stories in the set have to be wonderful.
I have to say that as much as I love the idea of living out west back then, the truth is I don’t think I’d last a day.
Me, too, Alisa. I am a wimp, a coward, and a…whatever. I could not survive. However, you now I really know how we might have functioned in such a life…we never got the chance to try! Thank God.
Thanks for you comment.
Great post, that life would be to hard for me now, maybe in my younger days I might could have done it but now sure about that. Love your books.
Quilt Lady–Of course, we’re seeing the situations from our present day view point. Who knows how great we could be! Thanks for reading my books…I had no idea. And thanks for the comment.
I’ve always wondered if I would’ve been a much stronger person, inside and out, had I lived on a farm. I do know that I am much better for having lived pre-technology. I’ve experienced things that my grandkids never will; been more hands on. I guess the next 20 years will tell us what effect technology has on this generation. I’m not against technology, I think it has a negative effect on a personal level.
I would love to win this set of books. Four of the authors are new to me. Right now I’m going to look them up on Amazon.
Lesia–I, too, grew up before technology. We did not have a tv until I was in Jr. High–a big black and white Philco. The first thing I owned that might be “technology” was a 45 record player. Played one at t time, and oh, how I loved that record player. Each generation is different, yes. Thanks for commenting.