Published: February 18, 2008 06:18 pm         

Cutest couple

Sherlene McMillan said she never won anything in her life except for a bird. So when she was told that she and her husband, Bill won the cutest couple contest sponsored by the Herald-Banner, she was almost speechless.

Then she went on to tell of their special love story and why she thought they should win.

“Well, we are the cutest couple around here — for our age,” she laughingly said.

Lone Oak High School sweethearts, the McMillans will be married 50 years in June. Sherlene met Bill when she was in the eighth grade and he was in 10th grade. Sherlene was once the football sweetheart, and Bill was the captain of the football team.

Since the couple were so much in love, Sherlene wanted to get married as soon as possible.

“My mother, however, said that I couldn’t get married until I graduated from high school,” she said. “So I graduated on a Friday, and we got married the following Saturday.”

With her arms draped across her husband’s shoulders, their picture captured the hearts of the Herald-Banner employees. When asked if the picture reflected them in real life, Sherlene said, “We’re always real lovey-dovey, and we’re always together. He always takes good care of me and tries to do the best he can.”

Sherlene sad she had a tough time at first fitting in with his family.

“Everybody said that we didn’t belong together,” she said. “His mom didn’t jive to me. I’m an outgoing person, and I guess she thought I was too outgoing.

“I’m a flirt and always flirted a lot, and you can’t break me of that. I guess they thought I was just a hick from the sticks, but he was, too.

“They just thought we didn’t jive, but we did jive. He and I just clicked, and there was just no separating us. We just love one another.”

Sherlene said her husband was a smart guy in school.

“But I wasn’t that smart, so maybe that’s why they thought it wouldn’t work out,” she said. “Everything worked out great, though.

“Especially when I had my first daughter. Then, they really like us, because they thought we were ‘it,’ because they only had grandsons.”

Sherlene said the couple has always gotten along and have never had any fights.

“If I get mad, he’ll go off for a few hours by himself,” she said. “Then, he’ll come back and ask if I’m OK. That’s just icing on the cake.”

Sherlene said that the couple always likes to cut up and have a good time — no matter how much trouble they get into.

“When we were dating, he was going to teach me how to drive,” she said. “I was driving, and after he fell asleep in the front seat, I hit an oak tree. He told his dad a story and that he hit the tree. He took the blame for it, but I was the one that tore the car up.”

Sherlene also said that their son recently gave them a four-wheeler. The couple never had a four-wheeler before, but that didn’t stop them from giving it a whirl.

“My husband said, ‘Get on here, Honey, and I’ll take you for a spin,’” she said. “Then he said, ‘Hold on, Honey. I won’t let you fall off.’ We looked liked two clowns out there.”

Sherlene said they both look out for one another and take care of each other when the other is sick.

“He’s been a smoker until a few months ago,” she said. “I asked him if he’d please try to quit just this one time for me, and he hasn’t smoked since. I also told him that if he picked up another cigarette again, that I’m moving out.”

Sherlene said they never got to go on a honeymoon, because her husband got pneumonia a week after they got married.

“For our 50th anniversary, I told my kids not to give us a party — just send us to Las Vegas,” she said.

When the couple was asked if they thought they were the cutest couple, Bill let his wife do the talking.

“I always said he was mine, and he was going to be mine,” she said. “We just always clicked. And we are the cutest couple.”