The year was 1965, and 22-year-old Leonard “Junior” Donegan had just returned home from serving in the United States Air Force. He smoothed back his dark hair to set the pomade and took one last glance at his reflection in the mirror. Though his brother, Terry, had set up this “blind date,” Junior had already snuck a peek at Linda’s picture in his nephew’s high school yearbook. She was everything he hoped she would be and more.
Junior had lost his mom to cancer on Good Friday in 1961, and two years prior, his dad had died of a stroke. So, as soon as he turned 18, he enlisted to serve his country. Now that he was back in Bedford County, his heart longed to settle down and begin a family of his own.
When Linda slid onto the vinyl seat of his baby blue 1960 Chevrolet Impala, the verse of scripture from Song of Solomon, “I have found the one whom my soul loves,” rang true for Junior. And though they exchanged only a few words as they watched “Flaming Star” featuring Elvis on the big screen at the old drive-in theater, Junior was making plans. Barely three months passed before he purchased an engagement ring.
“I showed her the ring, and then I put it into the glove box of my car. I told her, ‘Here it is whenever you want it.’ It stayed there for about a week before she took it out,” recalled Junior.
He gave Linda a playful side-eye and squeezed her hand as he continued, “The right one is out there. I knew right away she was the one, but it took her a little longer.”
Returning his banter, Linda added, “I was 19. So everyone said it wouldn’t last.”
They were married on Dec. 4, 1965, in the living room at Linda’s brother’s house, which — to my complete surprise — was inside my next-door neighbor’s home.
It wasn’t long before their sons, Travis and Tommy, joined their little family. But, shortly after Travis turned 16, just moments after hugging his mother goodbye, he was injured in a car accident.
“When you have to take your child off of life support, that’s one of the worst pains you can ever go through,” Linda said through tears. “When Travis passed, I went into a deep depression, and I know that was hard on Junior because I seemed to take it out on him. But one day, I said, ‘Lord, I can’t do this by myself.’ I didn’t want to see people or talk to anyone, and I got into my own little shell. Junior told me, ‘We are going to get through this together.’ We had a lot of support from our church family at First Church of the Nazarene, especially from our pastor at the time, Ron Dewitt.”
After the accident, a man in Maryland received Travis’ heart.
“He was on his deathbed, but because of Travis, he has lived 31 years extra. We have remained in contact with him, and his wife was expecting their son during the exact time our daughter-in-law was expecting our grandson. Both boys are named Zachary.” Junior added, “If the Lord wouldn’t have been with us when Travis died, we would have made a mess of our lives.”
The Donegans agree that while difficult times frequently drive a wedge between husbands and wives, for them, it was these times that cinched them closer together.
“We constantly lean on each other,” said Linda.
Losing Travis wasn’t their only tragedy. When Tommy turned 16, he was also in a terrible car accident.
“There were five people involved in that wreck. Tommy always said it should have been him killed and not Travis. His brother was the quiet one. He never even attended a dance before he died. This put Tommy into a deep depression, and he got into things he shouldn’t have. I wrote Tommy a letter, and I said, ‘It’s as if I’ve lost both my sons in the wreck that took Travis.’ After that, Tommy turned his life around. He is now attending Trevecca Nazarene University, and he serves in the jail ministry in Moore County. Now, he calls himself ‘The Custodian for Christ’ over at Cascade Elementary School, where he works.”
Junior spent 25 years as a tour guide at Jack Daniel’s Distillery, and Linda worked at Economy Pen and Pencil for 23 years before she quit to stay home with their sons.
“I never dreamed I would see the age of 81,” said Junior. “My parents and brothers died in their 60s, so my chances weren’t very good. But the love of a good woman has brought me through it. I retired early so that Linda and I could travel. We have seen places I never thought we’d live to see.”
Together, the Donegans have also faced a head-on collision four years ago. As the car struck them, Linda clung to Junior’s hand and said, “I’ll see you on the other side,” before she blacked out. They have also faced two recent cancer diagnoses for Linda, and the year before Junior retired, she suffered a brain aneurysm, and her doctors labeled her as a “walking miracle.”
Besides gifting her with jewelry on special occasions and leaving her notes, Junior also drives Linda to her weekly hair appointments and monthly nail appointments. For their 55th anniversary, the two celebrated by watching the Elvis movie at the drive-in theater in Tullahoma.
“If people around town see me, they are also going to see Linda because we are always together,” said Junior with a smile. “Our secret is love and support.”
Linda quickly added, “And always being there for each other.”
“And having a good, loving family and church family,” said Junior.
