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When Charles was discharged from the Army, the couple returned to their home, picking up where they left off\u2014 helping each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019d help him, and he helped me. That\u2019s the way it\u2019s been all through our marriage. If it needed to be done, we just did it together,\u201d Linda said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Charles returned to his livestock and his work at the stockyard. He acquired his auctioneer license, further connecting his passion and commitment to feeding his family and ours. Taking it a step further, Charles obtained his real estate license and began working with Town and Country Real Estate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As if his days weren\u2019t already full, Charles took on a bus route, driving for 10 years until taking a job with Jack Daniels Distillery. With school-aged children, Linda took over his route and avoided the need for a babysitter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Linda said, \u201cMy kids left with me and came home with me. It was pretty rewarding, and I enjoyed it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Linda kept a connection to the stockyard, too, working in the office part time for about 12 years. They have always helped each other, working together on and off their farm\u2014something that continues today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Linda took early retirement, and Charles retired after 27 years with Jack Daniels, but they haven\u2019t stopped working. Charles continues to work at the stockyard and with Joe and Dixie Smith at Town and Country Real Estate. Linda took up cake decorating, creating beautiful birthday and wedding cakes out of her home until problems with her hands forced her to cut back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Their helping attitudes extend beyond their marriage as well. As a long-time member of Mulberry Baptist Church, Linda has enjoyed working with the children in Vacation Bible School and packing shoe boxes for Samaritan\u2019s Purse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s neat to see the small children after they\u2019ve grown up who say, \u2018I used to come to Bible School here.\u2019 It\u2019s instilled in their minds, and they still remember it. It\u2019s like planting a little seed. And we fix the shoe boxes every year. It\u2019s a blessing to be doing something for somebody that\u2019s going to really appreciate what\u2019s in that little box. I\u2019ve always tried to emphasize the importance of having God in your life,\u201d Linda said. With Charles\u2019 recent health problems, the help continues with their adult children, Jeff McGee, and Janet Mullins. Grandchildren and great-grandchildren expand their family circle and offer more helping hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Linda said, \u201cCharles is still going out on the farm every day to see about the cattle. The kids have been helping out, and we don\u2019t know what we\u2019d do without them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The couple will celebrate their 60th anniversary this month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Linda said, \u201cThe key to a long-lasting marriage is not being selfish [and] always helping one another and other people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve had a good life, and God has blessed us. We\u2019re still having a good life. Even though we\u2019ve had some health issues, God has helped us through that. God is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A good life filled with God, good family, friends, and life experiences built around helping hearts. What more could a married couple want? GN<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Fayetteville couple Charles and Linda McGee have been married for over 60 years. The secret to their success is simple: helping each other. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9987,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[27],"class_list":["post-9975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cover","tag-january"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/DSC00663-1024x683.jpg\")