Alumni Sweetheart Stories

We posted on Facebook asking for Sweetheart Submissions–stories of King’s couples in honor of Valentine’s Day. Here are our tied winners!

Rick and Lori Millham (Class of ’90)

I was a Junior at TKC and an RA, and Lori was a transfer from Messiah as a junior. We were both at school early for orientation. I came across Lori at the Job Opportunity Board. Well this was prime time to pull out my best pickup line: “There are some great jobs on that board….” Yikes, was that bad. But she did not laugh and walk away, so that was a good sign! I was in the midst of decorating my room with old movie posters you could buy at the video store at the mall, so I asked her to help me pick out some stuff, and she said yes!

The next day was our bus trip into NYC with all the new students, and of course I was late. Little did I know Lori was holding a seat and hoping I would get on her bus. I had no idea, but jumped on the last bus in line, and as I looked for a seat, there was Lori with an empty seat next to her. We spent the day together in NYC and had a blast, and our friendship was forming. We knew that one of the challenges of a small community like TKC was the rumor mill. If you walked through the main lounge holding hands, people had you married off! So we agreed: friends for 30 days, no smooching, and no walking through the main lounge together. The no smooching was hardest for Lori… Well, we kept it a pretty good secret, even avoiding leaving any telling notes at the switchboard for each other.

After the longest 30 days of our lives, we dated for junior year and half of senior year. After the Christmas break I popped the question on a drive up to Vermont. Lori had 2nd semester senior year to show off her ring and try to focus on studies while thinking about a wedding. We graduated in May of 1990 and were married in April of 1991. We followed in the footsteps of her parents, Bob and Barb Straton, and her brothers, Jeff and Scott and their wives, who are all King’s couples. Below is a picture of Lori and I on a bench on the front porch of Old Main our senior year. The 2nd picture was this Christmas at the Cocoa Diner in Hershey, PA. Still best friends and very in love with Jesus and each other after 25 years, and we are PROUD to be a King’s alumni couple.

Jonathan and Nadja Ireland (Class of ‘91 and ‘92)

Jonathan and Nadja (Selah) Ireland, Class of 91 & 92, will celebrate their 23rd wedding anniversary in June of 2016. They have five children: Emmaline 18, Madeline 16, Ian 13, Maire-Eleanore 11 & Cairistiona 9. Their story:

Jonathan and I met when I was an incoming freshman. My very first memory of him was during our orientation, and he was for some reason smashing watermelons in a lab coat. I doubt I was the only one to think Jonathan and the other Sophomore guys helping with orientation weren’t too bad on the eyes.

Further into my freshman year, Jonathan became an acquaintance-type friend, and it wasn’t unusual to be sitting with him and others in the cafeteria. Later that year, a friend of mine went on a date with him, so I found myself hanging out with Jonathan a little more than usual. As I did, I realized just how much I liked about him. But ladies who are true friends know the code: you don’t mess with the guy she likes. At the end of September I wrote in my diary, “Jonathan Ireland is really nice. He’s supposed to teach me how to use the computer sometime, maybe tonight…I could REALLY like Jonathan, but I won’t because [my friend] still does.”

I dated a few fellows at TKC, most of them nice guys, but it never worked out. I could tell within a week or two if we weren’t meant to be. I was dating to find that elusive person the Irish call Anam Cara: your soul mate. I believed I’d know when the right guy came along. Meanwhile, I got tired of having crushes on all the wrong people and wondered increasingly if Jonathan was the one for me.

One day I was sitting in the cafeteria with my usual friends, including Jonathan. After eating, I began complaining about a writing assignment from Doc Weir about my past, present and future.  had no idea what my future held….so did he want me to make it up? Someone  at the table must have asked me what I wanted in the future So I pondered for a minute then started in on blah blah, want to be married to a Godly man, blah blah, missions…very important…I love art in all its forms. I probably threw in getting my own kitten, doing lots of hiking and traveling, and living my life for Christ.

About 10 seconds after I stopped talking, Jonathan (sitting next to me) says…..”Boy it’s a nice night…..I’d really like to go for a walk…..ummm….but I also have lots of studying to do…”

I, in complete cluelessness, turned to him and advised him to do one first and then the other, informing him, “It’s not that difficult of a decision to make.” He kept talking about his dilemma, giving me the impression he was a little dense and indecisive. I had admired Jonathan as an example of the type of man I would want to take an interest in me, but not in a million years did I think someone like him would ask me out. But finally after the fourth “to walk or not to walk,” Jonathan just said, “Do you want to go for a walk…with me?”

I’m not silenced very easily or dumbfounded, but I was stunned into silence. Jonathan Ireland was asking ME for a walk? I somehow awkwardly said yes and dashed off to my room to get my coat….meanwhile I called my roommate Jody, who was at work. I practically yelled into the phone, “You will NEVER guess who just asked me to go on a walk with him!” I thought she’d giggle and scream along with me when I told her, but she told me to calm down and keep things in perspective. Maybe he just didn’t want to go on a walk alone. She reminded me that he was known for “dating” someone then breaking it off quickly, so I needed to temper my giddiness. “OK,” I told her. “ I’ll keep my wits about me.” Of course I had no intention of doing that, so I floated down the grey stairs into the main lounge trying to look nonchalant. Only…he wasn’t there. Cue panic rising! I milled around, talking to whoever was there, feeling sort of conspicuous in my winter coat and doubting everything that had just taken place. Did he actually ask me for a walk tonight?…or did I misunderstand? Did he mean after his studying? Or did he decide the studying trumped the walk? Thankfully before I could work myself up into a full-blown panic attack, he sauntered in. “You ready?”

Looking back, those were some loaded words. No, I wasn’t looking for the love of my life at that moment. I had a terrible self-image underneath all my silliness and snark, by-products of a verbally abusive father. But that walk around Cook’s mile in the freezing cold, jumping over icy puddles, and cursing myself for wearing my brand new shoes, which were causing epic blisters on my feet…….was the start of a journey. It felt as though we talked about everything–at least everything that mattered. We stretched that walk out. The silent moments weren’t awkward. We just continued on and as each step drew us closer to the end of that walk, I worried. Was this for real? Did he actually like all these same things that I liked? Was this connection from God or just a coincidence?

Even today Jonathan and I remember that walk so clearly. Sometimes if I really try I can smell the pine trees, feel the cold air on my face and the shivering inside my coat, which was nowhere near warm enough–even the pain of those blasted blisters. But mostly I remember feeling peaceful, hopeful…and scared that I would say one wrong word and mess up that perfect night.

Two weeks later, after a handful of dates and spare time spent together in the lounge, at meals, at chapel, in the library, it was Valentine’s Day, 1990. Jonathan came knocking on the door of room 109, interrupting class. He was holding 18 roses and asked if I could come out for a moment. I’m sure the professor rolled his eyes but he did let me out. Jonathan swept me into the empty classroom next door. Kissed me quite soundly. And gave me his heart on a piece of paper I will always treasure.

It said, “Dear Nadja, Please receive these roses as a sign of the joy I have felt these past few days as I have spent more time with you. Water and care for them, and they will blossom and give you beauty and encouragement. The roses will only last for a little while though. If you will, I would like to get to know you better and perhaps we could then form a lasting relationship that as we both care for and tend would grow into a thing of true beauty, worthy of God’s blessing. Will you be my Valentine? —Jonathan”

And now Jonathan is here saying “Hold on, hold on. Back up a bit, you’re leaving out all the details. Let me tell you how I remember it.” So here he is.

Two weeks or so before Valentine’s Day, the Tourney organizing committee was on a weekend planning retreat at some jungle-themed Holiday Inn. Bob Bendlin, Kevin Cullen, and I were hanging around shooting the breeze, and Naomi Olson asked us why we didn’t have girlfriends. Being generally clueless guys, we thought nobody was interested in us, and didn’t have any other good answers. So she made us each volunteer what characteristics we were looking for in a spouse. When it was my turn, I listed what I could think of: “Godly, beautiful, enjoys the great outdoors…reading, art…missions minded”…and a few more. Naomi suggested we should be a little more observant, we promised we would.

It was the very next week, perhaps even the next day, that I joined Nadja and her friends for dinner. As the other diners wandered off, Nadja started talking about this autobiographical assignment she had, and rattled off her list of interests nearly completely matching and in order the very same list I had expressed as what I was looking for in a wife. As she detailed each one, a smile crept over my face as I thought, “You have no idea, do you?” It was like blinders were lifted from my eyes. Here she was, right in front of me, incredibly beautiful, pretty and cute, and with this big neon red blinking arrow floating above her that said “THIS ONE…stupid.” Then, yes, I tried to hint around that I wanted to go for a walk, but she wasn’t getting it, so I had to come right out and ask her. Then she said something about going up to get a coat. I wasn’t sure if she was coming back down…I must have gone up to brush my teeth.  We met in the main lounge and headed out.

The walk around Cook’s mile in the heavy snow was amazing. So quiet and peaceful (I had no idea her feet were blistered and coat too cold!). We talked about everything and nothing. I didn’t want it to ever end.

We sat together a few times in chapel (but not every time!), and even went to a Quink concert together in Cook 300, where we touched elbows…which leads us up to the week before Valentine’s Day, when I composed the note above. Quite pleased with myself, but also uncertain how it might be received, I showed it to a few folks. Jeff Sandnes, a big fan of our getting together, thought it was a slam dunk and teased Nadja about it all week, without spilling the beans. Joanna (now O’Bryon) thought it might scare her off. I was resolved to deliver it. It was obvious to me it had to be done.

On Valentine’s day, ever the entrepreneur, Doug O’Bryon had travelled up from somewhere with a car full of roses, selling them on his way up to NY. By the time he actually got to King’s, he was sick of roses and wanted to get rid of them. So Brian Bell and I each scored 18 (or more?) fine long stemmed roses for the price of half a dozen wilted grocery-store ones. Brian gave his to Jody, and I had mine for her roommate Nadja. I did catch her eye through the glass in the door of 109, and motioned her to come out of class. I did give her those roses, and that card. And I did kiss her soundly, and noted that this was exactly where I belonged, she in my arms. That card was about as close to a proposal as you can get without a ring, and I meant it. Later I would give her another note about growing a garden of roses together…and we were engaged. Married in 1993, and very thankful that God brought us together at The King’s College!