EPILOGUE
May 19th, 1973 began a second chance love journey for Odis Tyler and me. Our earthly chapter as lovers closed unexpectedly on June 9th, 2015. It was not a path I ever expected to take and was prepared to go together in the rapture with him. As I continue to follow God and trust Him to fulfill His Plan, I have set my focus on why God left me to carry on alone.
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Writing my love story has been therapy for me. I have seen our story as an example of our love for God and each other. I have seen how God orchestrated time and events to provide a perfect love as we went against all the odds and has been amazing. The story reunited our former love and created a pathway that brought 4 children to the table of life and exposed them to a relationship of loving parents, a teaching of the love of God and opportunities they wouldn't have had otherwise. Ten months after we married, a little Suzie was born and was the biggest surprise of all but the most joyful. Each child was educated either formally or with life experiences and grandchildren and great-grandchildren were added to the mix. As a single working mother, it wasn’t comfortable stepping into the role of a stay at home mom to 3 stepsons. My love for Odis gave me the desire to accept that challenge. Odis’ goal was to love and take care of me and provide an abundant life for me as long as he lived. He has continued that provision when he could no longer be here to give it to me.
I stay active in our community with church events, judging pageants, and keep up with friends and family on Facebook. I spend time with my daughter, Diane, and granddaughter, Molly in Texarkana and fly to New York for business and family time with our daughter Karmyn. I spend time visiting with the boys and their children and grandchildren in Shreveport and Hot Springs.
From a fantasy world of Elizabeth Taylor to the real world of life with Odis Tyler, I have lived a wonderful fairytale love story that most people only dream about.
“Why God allowed the life I lived, I don’t know, but I feel very special that He gave me a beautiful love to experience. I treasure the hundreds of love letters Odis left for me to remember his true, pure love.”
Diane received two master’s Degrees from Texas A&M Texarkana and recently became Principal certified. She is currently At-Risk Coordinator for the Behavior Adjustment Class & Disciplinary Alternative Education Campus at Liberty Eylau ISD. Diane has two daughters, Molly Suzann, 26 and Maggie Catherine, 19 and married her high school sweetheart, Greg in 2010. Maggie was killed in a tragic car accident on her way to work, on September 19, 2013. Diane resides in Texarkana, Arkansas.
Karmyn attended Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana and became Miss Louisiana 1995. She received a bachelor’s Degree at Texas A&M Texarkana and had a successful acting career in Dallas before moving to Los Angeles in 2006. In 2009 she met the love of her life, Christopher and married in 2012. She currently resides in Manhattan where she performs, teaches voice with numerous students who are appearing on Broadway and Country music artists.
Jeff attended Southwestern Assemblies of God College in Waxahachie, Texas, He has two sons, Josh and Daniel and 3 grandchildren. He is in full-time ministry and began a Night Watch ministry while living in Atlanta, Georgia. Currently, Jeff resides in Iowa.
Mark attended DeVry college in Dallas, Texas and Garland County Community College in Hot Springs, Arkansas. A commercial driver for several years he trained as an EMT and paramedic and currently a 911 dispatcher for the Hot Springs Police Department. Mark married his high school sweetheart, Dawn in 1986, and they have two sons Seth and Cody. Currently, Mark resides in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Tim married the love of his life, Tammy in 1996. He received special training in roofing aand was a commercial truck driver. Tim has 4 boys and 2 girls, Brandy, Tim, Dalton, Sandy, Shon and Dusty and 3 grandchildren. Tim died of lung cancer in 2016. Tammy resides in Doyline, Louisiana with their
sons, Shon and Dusty.
James and Racine Smith had three daughters, LaDonna, Kathy and Carolyn and one son, DeWayne. They were owners of Smith Printing Company until he retired. James died of dementia in 2010. DeWayne died with complications of juvenile diabetes in 2004. Racine currently resides in an over 55 apartment duplex in Texarkana, Texas.
Drafted in the Army in 1961, Danny Johnson left the printing profession and went into business for himself. After serving in the Army, he married Ioma in 1964 and had two daughters. After the death of his first wife in 1987, he married Mary Jo in 1988. Danny currently resides in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Dalton married Joanna Rogers in 1975 and five years later had a daughter, Tasha. He retired from printing and currently resides in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
JoAnn moved from Waco to Nashville, Tennessee where she has managed several successful country music artists including Barbara Mandrel and Roy Clark. She formed her own company, The World Class Talent in 1983. Currently, she has signed several new artists and is the market director for CBN.
I recently took a trip back to Conroe, Texas for the first time in 40 years. I was able to visit the old dealership, the house on Madeley Street which is now a parking lot for the Catholic Church and my old apartment at Caesar’s Palace. It looked the same except they had filled in the swimming pool. I visited the shopping center where JoAnn had her shop “What’s Happenin” and the old church on Frasier Street. Progress goes on, and the dealership is now Buckalew Chevrolet and has relocated to I-45, and the church now has a big new church also on the interstate. It has grown from 12,000 to close to 100,000 population. I visited with my former pastor, Alvin Eaton who just turned 95 and my former boss, Don Buckalew in his 80’s and my friend and former co-worker Sandra and we don’t give our age. Time has marched on for Conroe as it did for Odis and me.
In August 2017, Sandra had a stroke and passed away a few weeks later. She had the opportunity to read my book and was in awe at the love Odis had for me. She told me, “Sue, he really loved you.” I treasure my visit with her.
