Swap Shop

Bill and Ann Stegall (63 years) After serving in the U.S. Air Force in Tripoli, North Africa, Bill Stegall put in for about every location in the states, and ended up sta- tioned in Miles City, Montana. At the time, he thought to himself “where is Miles City, Montana?” Bill recalls the first time he saw his wife Ann. “I was walking down a street in town and I saw this girl walk across the street and go into the drug store. I said to myself ‘I need to check this out’. So I go and look around the store and I see her (Ann) working behind the counter. Back then, a lot of drug stores would have a counter where they would serve burgers and sodas. I or- dered a soda and sat at the end of the counter. Later, her boss, a lady, asked Ann if she knew who that guy was at the end of the counter? She said she didn’t know him. Her boss told her that she had never seen anyone make a Coke last so long.” Bill knew from the moment he saw her that this was the girl he would marry some day and he kept coming back to get him a Coke and he always took his time there. Ann gave the details of the first time Bill brought her home. “About a month later, I went to a dance with my brother who was 8 years older than me. He had come home to visit and take me to the dance. Bill was there. We danced together a few times. After the dance, people would al- ways go to this one place for breakfast. Bill was there and he came over to my table and asked me if he could take me home and I said yes, ok. It was about 2:30 in the morning. My brother asked me if I really wanted to do that with this guy? My brother said Bill looked rough. I told my brother that I kind of enjoyed his (Bill) company and I had been around him a few times,” she said. “So, Bill and I get in his car and take the drive toward my house, which was about a twenty minute drive, and by now it’s about 3 a.m. We pull up to the house, waiting outside were my two brothers, two of my cousins, and a good friend…All boys. Bill said to me ‘what’s going on?’ I told him I don’t know. Bill looked over at me and said ‘I can’t handle all of that,’” Ann said in explaining the situa- tion. “When the car stopped at the gate in front of the house, my oldest brother opened the door, picked me up, and put me across the fence, and told me to go into the house. I looked back and at that time, I saw poor old Bill back into My Dad’s car. Bill added, “I was so nervous, I never saw that car. Luck- ily, I didn’t hurt it much.” Bill and Ann dated for about eight months and were mar- ried on October 3, 1959. Bill got out of the Air Force in January after serving four years, but he and Ann had a plan. “I had her father signed a promissory note with me for $2,500.00 and we lived on that money and a big box of meat from her daddy for 6 months while Ann went to study to become a beautician (hair) and I went to barber school. After that, we both went to work. I ended up buy- ing the barber shop where I was working when the guy I worked for decided he wanted to get out of the business,” Bill explained. During his first four years as a barber, Bill and Ann had their four children: Guy, Penny, Wade, and Lisa. “One time, I was in Mississippi visiting and was visiting with my brother Mickey while he was working for the Handy Pantry quick shop. I could hardly visit with him be- cause of the people walking in and out of that store buy- ing things. I told Mickey that if the owner ever wanted to sell one of his stores, let me know, we might put some- thing together. I said that to Mickey even though I didn’t have the money at the time to do it,” Bill stated about that day at the store. www.southernsenior.info 11 • Affordable Cost of Living • Low Taxes • Low Crime Rate • Quality Medical Care • Recreation • Educational & Cultural Opportunities • A Warm, Welcoming Community Come Home PICAYUNE to a place called 1 of Mississippi’s only 20 Certified Retirement Cities