Cole and Grace met at the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND, in the fall of 2019. They had several classes together, but despite all that time in the same room, Cole was too shy to talk to her. They finally spoke at a party. Later, Cole got Grace’s number from a friend, and they chatted occasionally.


Then came covid, and were sent home from school and they lost touch. Cole wasn’t going to return to UMary, and life took them in different directions—until fate (Vaughn Dienhart) stepped in. Almost two years later, Grace and Vaughn were celebrating a friend’s birthday when Vaughn, knowing Cole liked Grace, spontaneously FaceTimed Cole while she was baking a cake. He answered, and, the two reconnected.


At the time, Cole was finishing school in Missouri, while Grace was back home beginning her super exciting career in HR. Cole asked to see each other once he came home, and when the day finally came, they went on a dinner-and-movie date. They hit it off so well that they completely lost track of time, showing up 20 minutes late to the movie. Meanwhile, Cole, in awe of Gracie, made sure to get another date on the calendar immediately.


Over the next two years, they navigated long-distance, deepened their faith, and spent a lot of time focused on baseball. They quickly realized how much they had in common—summers at Cass Lake, Cole living next door to Grandma Bonnie, fishing, and, most importantly, their shared dream of building a Christian family.


Then, on January 11, 2025, Cole proposed—making Gracie the happiest girl alive.