Renate met her first husband Louis when she was just 18-years old and married him when she was only 19. After 12 years together, the couple decided to split up and go their separate ways. But, Louis had been keeping something from her since they parted, and he traveled over 200 miles to tell Renate his true feelings in person.
Renate Was an Excellent Walmart Greeter
Renate Stumpf works as a Walmart greeter in a small town. At 75 years old, she spends her days talking to the locals in her town, who she has come to know over a lifetime. In her life she has been married twice. Her first marriage ended in divorce, and her second marriage ended just a few years ago when her husband passed away.
She Reached Out to Old Friends
Now a widow, Stumpf frequently keeps up with her friends via social media on Facebook. Having just set up her account, she now reconnects with people from her past who she hasn’t had contact with in decades. But she couldn’t have expected who was about to get in touch with her.
A Message From an Old Friend Came From Out of the Blue
Stumpf’s three children from her first marriage were all grown and out of the home now, so in the time since her husband passed away, she found herself lonely in her home. Luckily, she wasn’t the only one looking up her old friends on Facebook. She got a message from an old friend one day that she never saw coming.
She Didn't Expect to See Him Again
Renate started her job as a Walmart greeter after she retired so she could get out of the house more and stay in touch with her friends around town. But the man looking from here didn't live close by. He traveled hundreds of miles to make it to this Walmart location.
He Was Holding a Sign For Her to Read
An older man came up behind her, staring at her and holding a sign without wavering. One of Renate’s co-workers had to get her attention to tell her to turn around and read the sign. The words that came out of his mouth next shocked Renate and made her scream.
Who Was This Man?
Renate's ex-husband, Louis Demetriades, was also 75-years old. He had enough time in his day to travel from Tennessee to Arkansas to visit the wife who had once called him a "stubborn husband." She also recalled that the two of them called things off because they "argued about every little thing."
He Served in the Army in the '50s
Louis Demetriades served as a soldier in the army when he was a young man. He felt pride in serving his country and made some lifelong friends during his service. But it was there that he also met the love of his life. Every day, his dinner was served by a woman with kind eyes and a sweet demeanor, who Louis absolutely adored.
There He Met His First Wife
The woman working in the kitchen on Louis’ army base was Renate, and from that moment on they were inseparable for the next 12 years. In that time the couple were engaged, got married and had three children together. But in time, a strain in their relationship became evident and it couldn’t be repaired.
They Soon Got Married...
When the two met, they were only 18 years old. Renate recalled, "I was working in the kitchen at the army base, and he was a soldier. The first time I ever saw him, he asked me if I could fix him a hamburger. He liked who he saw, so he asked to go help me out in the kitchen."
... And Had Three Lovely Children
But soon, their love story got more and more difficult. With the arrival of their three children, there was a strain put on their relationship. "We had little financial support," Renate recalled. "I didn't know anything and I could barely speak English."
They Split Up After 12 Years
After about 12 years, the couple divorced when their difficulties proved too much for them to handle. Louis and Renate both got remarried shortly after. And, after Louis' wife passed away, he found himself missing the family that he had with Renate all those years ago. Was it too late to look Renate up again and see how she was doing?
He Had Some Unfinished Business
Renate’s coworkers couldn’t believe what they were witnessing. From their perspective, this was crazy! Not only had they never seen this man before, he was approaching Renate and not taking his eyes off of her! This customer, if he even was one, seemed to have no interest in where he was or who was around him, aside from Renate.
He Traveled 286 Miles to Be There
Little did they know that this man had driven all the way from Memphis, Tennessee to Fort Smith, Arkansas with his sign. The trip was 286 miles and took hours in the early morning in February. They wondered, what could be so important that he embarked on this journey to tell Renate? Whatever it was, he needed to say it in person.
She Hadn't Seen Him in 43 Years
Renate hadn't seen her ex-husband in person since they parted was 43 years ago, but she had started to receive Facebook messages from him a few months previous. If he already had a way to contact her, what could he possibly need to say in person?
She Recognized Him and Gasped
When Renate turned around, she immediately recognized the man who was trying to get her attention. When she saw him her hand flew to her mouth to cover a gasp as Renate tried to guess what her ex-husband was doing standing behind her, after they divorced over 40 years ago.
Then She Read the Sign
The sign he held read “Happy Valentine’s Day! Will you marry me?” After 43 years had passed, and the couple had both remarried and experienced loss, their feelings for each other were still felt. Louis simply told Renate, “Hey good lookin’” and with that, her fear turned into a sudden rush of joy.
She Was Over the Moon
Renate was elated to see that her ex-husband Louis still cared deeply for her after so many years apart. And she felt the same way! She was so excited that she hugged her co-workers around her and introduced her to Louis.
Her Coworkers Were Happy to Witness the Event
Even Renate's manager, Rod, got in on the excitement. The fact that the couple's second engagement occurred on Valentine's Day didn't go over anyone's head and warmed the hearts of everyone who was there to witness it, because it reminded them they were never too old to find love.
She Was Surrounded By Friends
“She has so many friends here and I knew she would like to share that with them,” Louis said. That's why he ultimately decided that if he was going to propose to Renate again, he had to do it in person and make as big of a scene as he could. What better way to impress the love of his life?
It All Happened on Valentine's Day
Renate and Louis had only been in contact with each other again for three months prior, but they both still had feelings for each other. "When we saw each other again last December, we knew right then we still loved each other for sure," Stumpf said. "That love has never passed."
She Couldn't Believe it
It took Renate a moment to recollect herself and realize what she was just asked. She never expected to get married again at her age, and she guessed that even if that was possible, she might not have a grand proposal. This really made her sure that Louis was the right guy for her.
A Second Proposal 55 Years After the First
After meeting each other when they were only 18-years old, Renate and Louis had seen each other through the toughest moments in their lives and they looked forward to having holidays together with their children again. But wait, had Renate accepted Louis's proposal?
He Traveled From Tennessee to Arkansas
Renate didn't answer Louis's question right away, though. She let him wonder for a moment if she was going to accept his proposal. “Forty-three years is a long time to say ‘yes’ right away," Renate told ABC News. "I’m going to have to test him a little bit first! I will marry him though, because he’s a good man.”
After 43 Years, They Were Back Together
So, when is the wedding? Renate told ABC News: "There's no rush at my age. God put us together again, and it couldn't be any other way after all these years."
She Said Yes!
The couple reunited in December and just two months later in February they were getting engaged again, but not without a little reluctance on Renate’s part. Initially after reading her ex-husband’s sign, she declined his offer! But then, she clarified what she meant by saying, “Yes, but not today!”