Well, who doesn’t love a good how’d you meet story?

Here’s our story, our meeting was orchestrated by God. I was a new freshman, on the Henderson State University campus. I was hanging with my friends and talking about our new experiences between classes. One day one of my friends I’d grown up with approached our group. She wasn’t alone, there was this big handsome fellow with her. She began to introduce him, as Larry Lock, a star football player at HSU.

Now his name sounded familiar to me, though I’d never met him. However, I began to recall his name was mentioned to me by a church friend of mine, who lived in Malvern, AR. She told me she had a boyfriend, and his name was Larry Lock. Well, I so was excited when I heard his name, and blurted out, “I know you.” I suppose he was a little stunned and embarrassed (It was our first time meeting in person). However, I’d moved on from the incident and I was sure he had too! A few weeks later, I got a phone call from none other than that Mr. Larry Lock.

He’d gotten my number from my friend that was with him the day we’d met. (He said he had some time after football practice, so he’d made the call to me). I thought he was kind of cute and spoke intelligently, so we continued talking and eventually began dating. We were good friends and shared information about our families, happenings on campus, future plans, etc.

Our friendship eventually turned into more over the course of our years at the university, we grew to know and like each other better. In our latter college years, we both came to know Christ as our personal savior which cemented our relationship.

Larry introduced me to his family in Malvern, and he often visited my family while in Arkadelphia. We were engaged in December of 1973 and made wedding plans for Saturday, July 27, 1974, after we both graduated college. Our wedding was amazing. The service was held at Tate Temple COGIC, the church I grew up in Arkadelphia, AR. Many of our family and friends attended on that very hot Saturday afternoon. I began my teaching career that year, at an elementary school in Malvern. Larry continued his graduate studies at HSU and received his Master’s degree in August of 1975.

Our new journey continued, during the fall of 1975. Larry was a newly commissioned US Army Officer. We were headed to Fort Knox, KY for training for about four months. After our stay there, we were on the road again to Fort Hood, TX, where we stayed about a year. It was fun getting to know each other and meeting more new people.

In 1976, The Department of the Army in Washington DC, reassigned Larry and I to the US Military Academy at West Point, NY. Larry was assigned to be a Training Officer and Assistant Football Coach with the Army Football Team. I especially enjoyed attending all the games, specifically the Army-Navy game in Philadelphia each year.

I also worked as a teacher at the West Point Nursery School. We enjoyed many new adventures and continued meeting new people.

During our stay, God richly blessed us with our perfect firstborn son, Courtney Donnell Lock on June 22, 1977. Our incredible precious daughter Candace Elizabeth was born February 8, 1980.

While in New York, we joined and fellowshipped with an amazing church, The Best Temple COGIC. Our pastor was Elder James L. Best, he was an extraordinary leader, as was the entire church family, which heavily influenced our Christian lives even to this day.

Leaving the Military, Larry was recruited by a major corporation in New York City. They relocated us to the San Francisco Bay Area, where we lived for eighteen years. I began teaching again in the local schools. We fellowshipped and joined local churches in the area.

Our family wasn’t complete until God blessed us with our youngest son, Benjamin Michael Lock, our joy, was born January 13, 1985.

We truly loved each other and our lives together but God had other plans. In July of 1998, the Lord provided for us to move to Las Vegas, NV. Our family was completely excited as we ventured to this marvelous desert city. God continued to bless us. Larry and I both worked in the Clark County School District in Las Vegas. Eventually, we both became school administrators and are happily retired to this day!

Best of all we’ve come this far by faith, leaning, and depending on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Vera and Larry Lock