On Mother's Day, May 10, 1953, Mary went to church at First Christian Church in Corpus Christi. Dr. Oliver Harrison was the minister there. Mary went home to clean house and mow the lawn. Since she worked six days a week, Sunday was the catch up day for laundry, housework, etc. She washed and rolled up her hair and went out (in pants and hair rollers!!) to get a bite to eat at a drive-in located at Port and Leopard. Next door to the drive-in was a place called the Auto Center. Lloyd Rhoades had part interest in that business. He had come by to turn on the lights for the evening and had stopped by the drive-in to eat, too. He was parked next to Mary and started talking to her. One thing led to another, and before they knew it, they were dating regularly. Lloyd always liked to try to make people believe that Mary had "lassoed" him into sitting in her car that day, but that's his story! Mary has never told us hers.
      They made plans to get married on July 1 — only about six weeks after they had met. Dr. Harrison interviewed them before the wedding. Because of the short time they had known each other, he didn't want to marry them. He asked Lloyd who in town knew him. Since Lloyd owned a business, he gave him the name of a man who worked at Citizens State Bank. Dr. Harrison apparently knew this man and went down to the bank to talk to him about Lloyd. Lloyd must have gotten a good character reference, because Dr. Harrison agreed to marry them after that!
      Elmer Lloyd Rhoades and Mary Jane Brunson Foster were married in the small chapel of First Christian Church on July 1, 1953. Gordon and Roberta Walker were their witnesses and were the only ones who attended the wedding.