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Dorothy and Roe Chappell have been married almost 62 years. They have had the same phone number since 1954. MICHAEL STONACEK/Missourian

By MEGAN MCCALLA
news@columbiamissourian.com

Dorothy Chappell and her husband, Roe, have kept their marriage going for more than six decades. They celebrate their 62nd anniversary in May.

The Chappells met before World War II. They were introduced to each other through mutual friends and then dated for a while.

When the war broke out, Roe Chappell was deployed and Dorothy Chappell was left at home in Oklahoma City.

“We met before the war, but we didn’t get married until Roe came back,” Dorothy Chappell said.

When he returned from the war, they began to see each other again. “Everyone seemed to like Roe,” Dorothy said.

He proposed on Christmas Day.

“He told me he had a special present for me,” Dorothy said, “and it was this little diamond ring. He had it paid off in a week!”

Dorothy said she has gotten bigger diamonds since then, but the first is the only one she still wears every day.

They were married on May 26, 1946. “It was a big church wedding,” Dorothy said. “We flew to Colorado Springs for our honeymoon. It was lovely, a two-week honeymoon.”

They later settled down and had three children, one boy and two girls. They moved to Columbia in 1954. “We just loved Columbia,” Dorothy said.

The small town seemed to suit them, and they have enjoyed living here ever since. Dorothy became active in groups such as the PTA, and she began working at Stephens College as an alumni coordinator. Her husband owned his own business, Columbia Office Supply.

They have been retired for about 20 years, spending much of it traveling to places such as Spain and Mexico. “We love to travel,” Dorothy said.

Both remain active in their church, and they also like to play bridge with friends.

For Valentine’s Day, they usually go out to dinner. “By this point, he has given me everything I could ever need,” Dorothy said.

When asked where they will spend Valentine’s Day this year, Dorothy said, “Oh, I don’t know. Roe likes steak.”

The secret to success?

“It’s our love and trust in each other,” she said. “And our respect for each other. It’s the basis of our relationship.”