Page 5 - The Wayne Dispatch

“How we tied the knot” residents share love stories

By Carolyn Marnon family moved to Inkster. Judith
Can there really be too many mentions that her dad was also from
Judy’s? According to Judith Shelton, the south.
yes there can be, which is why she “I always liked tall men,” she
prefers to be called Judith. However, shares.
to her doting husband, Stan, there “She was pretty. Not crazy until
can only be one and his Judy hap- after we’ve been married 44 years!
pens to be the apple of his eye. Dressed nice. Always gave me point-
Stan Shelton was attending the ers on my dress,” he says. “Lots of
University of Michigan with Judith’s pointers!” she insists.
cousins. Her aunt was familiar with The Shelton’s have three children.
Stan for about a year and said that The oldest is their daughter, a psy-
she had someone she wanted Judith chologist, who lives in Westland.
to meet. When Judith’s cousin got Their middle child, a son, is in the
married, Judith and her mother Army. The youngest son “works all
went to the wedding. Stan happened the time,” Judith says, for an auto
to be in attendance, and so they fi- supplier. “He’s a good catch, if you
nally met. can catch him.”
Judith’s cousins invited her to When asked about their most
United Artists to see a movie. She memorable date, Judith replies “Oh
didn’t know that Stan would be there my goodness. We went on so many!”
although she told her mom she “Eastern Market” Stan says. “He
thought he would be. He knew she Judith and Stan Shelton on their wedding day, the happy couple will celebrate 45 liked food,” she says. “We still go
would be there. Their first date was sometimes.”
that group date with her cousins. years of marriage in April. The secret to their amazing rela-
Stan has been the only person she’s where she did one-line diagrams. ways said I wouldn’t marry anyone tionship? “Anytime you put God in
dated since! Stan happened to be a computer pro- who worked for the same company I the relationship, He keeps us to-
Judith worked at Detroit Edison grammer who worked there too. “I al- did, but it was too late. I liked him.” gether,” shares Judith. Neither
The reason she didn’t want to date wanted to ever be divorced.
anyone in the same company was be- They share several funny mo-
cause she didn’t want people in her ments. Stan tells a story. One
business, she says. Thanksgiving, he was cleaning
Stan was quiet. “I had to make chitlins. Black people cook chitlins,
him talk. Now he talks too much!” he says, which happen to be the in-
Judith laughs. “He listened to me. I testines of a pig. (According to a
just enjoyed his company. He had a 2014 Portland Observer article
very pleasing manner. My brother “Most people of color believe that
was just crazy about him.” She adds Chitlin’s were "invented" by slaves
that her brother told her ‘he’s the who received the last of the un-
best for you.’ She’s sad that her dad wanted meat from the annual hog
never got to meet Stan. “He’s a lot killings of their slave masters.”) Ju-
like my father” who died. dith told him that the next time, she
Stan Shelton grew up in Missis- would clean them. He laughs that
sippi. “A southern hick,” he says. He she gagged the whole time. She says
was the oldest of 8. His folks were
sharecroppers. When he was 10, his See Love, page 6

The Wayne Dispatch · February 2020 · 5