Marvin and Jeanne Cook: Love sparked by a Bonneville

by Kayla Fletcher

In the summer of 1958, Marvin Cook and his father were in Wilde’s grocery store in Stockbridge picking up a few things for dinner when Marvin saw a beautiful little brunette walking in front of him.

“She was swingin’ them hips so much that she dang near was knocking the stock off the shelves,” Marvin remembers.

“There ya go,” his father said.

It was maybe a week later, while working at Cobb & Schreer’s Pontiac dealership in Stockbridge, Marvin laid eyes on that little brunette again. Her name was Jeanne Salyer, and she had gone to the dealership because her brother needed some work done on his car, a ‘58 Pontiac Bonneville. Jeanne was shy, not saying a word, but Marvin couldn’t resist her sweet smile. As Jeanne and her brother left, Marvin knew he had to see her again.

Using the excuse of talking to Jeanne’s brother about the work he was doing on his car, Marvin drove to the Salyer home, which was right off Main St. When Marvin pulled up, he saw Jeanne sitting on the porch steps. He smiled shyly and asked for her brother.

Instead of getting her brother, Jeanne said, “So when are you gonna take me for a ride in that car.”

Marvin replied, “Well, right now.”

“We probably never would have met if I didn’t work on that Bonneville,” Marvin said with a chuckle.

On November 3, 1961, Marvin and Jeanne were married at the Stockbridge Methodist Church. In 1963, on July 4, they welcomed twin girls, Terry (Wireman) and Tammy (Sanchez). Nine years later, their youngest, Audra (Salyer), came along. The family has grown through the years with sons-in-law, grandchildren, and even a great grandchild.

After 62 years of being together, Marvin and Jeanne say the secret to being together so long is not sweating the little things and never going to bed mad at each other.

This special anniversary story will be included in our Hearts and Flowers—Love is in the Air feature celebrating couples who have been married 50 years or more. Watch for this feature in the February print edition of the Stockbridge Community News.