Clyde’s Corner: 77 years of marriage for these pillars of the community. WOW!

by Clyde Whitaker

This month it is with great pleasure that I present a story for you about Stockbridge royalty. Freida and Arthur Allen have been pillars of our Stockbridge community since their arrival here in 1948, over 77 years ago!

“Art” was born Jan. 25, 1928, and Freida was born on June 10, 1934. Unfortunately, Art passed away in June of this year, leaving his bride of 77 years to carry on with the help of her family. I had the pleasure of sitting down and speaking with Freida and her son Gary a few weeks ago at their house, gathering information so I could write this special story.

It started innocently enough at the movies in Salyersville, Kentucky. Apparently, Art had already seen the show and was walking out, but he stopped when he saw Freida Vanderpool and her stepfather Earl Patrick and mother Mae Patrick walking into the show.

Art proceeded to turn right around and go back into the movies, sitting with Earl, Mae and Freida close by. According to Freida, Art sat next to Earl and was talking through the whole movie—“Adventure Island”—starring Rhonda Fleming and Rory Calhoun.

The next time Freida saw Art was on the school bus, with Art singing and flirting with the girls on the bus. 

Fast forward to May 31, 1948. Freida and Art were married in Salyersville, Kentucky. Freida was two weeks away from her 14th birthday. Art was 20 years old. The marriage was a solid one that lasted 77 years.

After they were married, Freida and Art left Salyersville and headed for Stockbridge, where Art was supposed to have a job waiting for him at the Krummrey Farm.

Taking the bus to Stockbridge from Salyersville, they paid an extra 25 cents for a cotton pillow for Freida to sit on. After reaching Stockbridge, they kept the pillow, not realizing the 25 cents was to rent the pillow, not buy it!

Upon arrival in Stockbridge, and barely off the bus, Art made it known that he didn’t like the skirt that Freida was wearing. One of Freida’s first Stockbridge memories was going into the Dancer Department Store and buying a new skirt, a black one!

After this, they started walking from Stockbridge, heading out to the Krummrey Farm on the outskirts of town. As they were walking, a Mr. Bradshaw happened along and offered them a ride to the farm, which they gladly accepted. Art got the job on the farm, working with his mother and father, Mert and Taylor. Freida and Art lived on the Krummrey Farm for about two years, then they both took jobs at Argus Camera in Ann Arbor.

After a short stint at Argus Camera, in 1953, Art hired in at Kelsey Hayes in Jackson, Michigan. In 1985, after 32 years of service, Art retired from Argus and collected a pension for 40 years until he passed away this year.

While at Argus, Art bought a small house trailer and placed it on property owned by a Mr. Griffis. They lived in this trailer for about two years. It was a challenging time with no water and no electricity! (And we think we have it bad when we lose power for a couple of hours!)

It was right about this time that Art built what became known as “The Speedway,” located on the M-52 curve coming into Stockbridge, by the Green Road entrance. Freida and Art lived there, upstairs, again with no water and no electricity for a short amount of time.

Freida and Art raised seven children all born before Freida turned 24. Those born in Rowe Memorial Hospital on Center St. in Stockbridge included: Gail (June 1949), Wanda (May 1951), Taylor “Gary” (Sept. 1953), Larry (Feb. 1955) and Linda (Dec. 1955). All five were delivered by Dr. Edward Weddon. Another daughter, Glenda (Feb. 1958), was born at Foote Hospital in Jackson. Between Gail and Wanda, another daughter, Carolyn, was born in April 1950, in Kentucky, with the aid of a midwife. Sadly the baby passed away a few hours after birth.

After living at “The Speedway” for about 10 years, Art proceeded to move two Army barracks houses to south M-52, where they lived for a little while. This started a cycle of build, move, build again for Art.

According to Gary, over the years Art has probably built or purchased about 45 properties in the area! Freida is currently living in the house that Art built in 2002 on Catholic Church Road. Since Art’s passing, the house just doesn’t feel the same.

As I was finishing up my interview with Freida and Gary, I asked Freida for the secret to having a long marriage. Freida thought for a few moments then said, “Always try and do the right thing, try and avoid confrontation, and have God in your life.”

Obviously, 77 years is a long, long time to be married, and there are likely many more stories to be told. I’m sure I just scratched the surface of the Freida and Art story, but I do know, Stockbridge is better because they were in it!

Clyde Whitaker is a 1973 Stockbridge graduate. He and his wife, Mary, raised four children in Stockbridge, and they still reside in the Stockbridge area.