In my 43 years as a newspaper editor I learned that sometimes it’s best to let the subject tell the story and just stand aside and not try to embellish it.

This is one of those times.

It is a love story involving Mareia Wilmoth McDougal, Class of 1964, and husband Earl McDougal, Class of 1963, who live on Swisher Hill and have a blended family of seven children.

Today is their 37^th wedding anniversary. And they have a beautiful Christmas love story.

Let Mareia explain it:

 From oldest to youngest the children are Michele & hubby Brian parents to two boys; Greg, parent to three, two boys, 1 girl; Cami and Jody, parents to 3, 2 boys, 1 girl and 1 grandaughter, Lori Ann; Lori and Steve, parents to 5 children, 4 girls, 1 boy and 3 grandchildren, 2 girls, 1 boy; John is parent to 1 boy and 1 girl; Damian and Marci, parents to 1 boy, 1 girl; Shasha and Pastor Phillip Youngblood, parents to 3 children, 2 girls, 1 boy.

Making Mareia and Earl grandparents to 24, 4 of which are great-grandchildren, 12 boys, 12 girls.

They attend a Baptist church pastored by son-in-law Phillip Youngblood.
 

Mareia was Senior Princess in the Monongah High Homecoming court whose Homecoming parade chaffeur was Earl. Jim Davis was her escort.

Mareia was only at Monongah High one year, her graduation year, after three years at Shinnston High School.

 Earl was there for the full Monongah High monty. He is a former coal miner who eventually retired from Borg-Warner.

Mareia is a free-lance photographer and was a florist for 45 years as a Wal-Mart department manager. Earl and Mareia have lived in Hendersonville, North Carolina for more than 30 years.

 

Earl’s brother, Johnny McDougal, also graduated from Monongah High. So did Mareia’s sister, Sherry Wilmouth Vance, and her husband; and Earl’s siblings, Edna McDougal Saunders, Class of 1948, whose widower is James Saunders; Helen McDougal Mudry, Class of 1965, lives on Swisher Hill where she grew up while going to Monongah High; James McDougal, Class of 1961, who lives in North Carolina; and Reva McDougal Ash, Class of 1950, who lives on Hazelwood Road in Marietta, Ohio and has three sons, one daughter, eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.