THE YEAR was 1959. Elvis Presley and Frankie Avalon records were selling off the shelves, and the Ed Sullivan Show entertained families across America. It was here, in the era of soda shops and poodle skirts, that Mike Bone, a high school senior at Shelbyville Central High School, first met his true love.
At a typical high school football game, Frieda Bone casually walked past Mike, making her way to the concession stand. Mike was instantly smitten.
“A pink sweater and skirt caught my attention as she walked by me on the way to the concession stand,” Mike said. “I had to ask her name.”
He wasted no time in asking her out at church that weekend. By Monday, Mike and Frieda were sweethearts. For Frieda, a sophomore at the time, the attention from an upperclassman was thrilling.
“I was young (a sophomore) and honored to know an upperclassman,” she said. “He was so serious and focused!”
Little did she know that Mike’s “goget-‘em” attitude would launch her into a whirlwind of adventures with her new beau.
Their early courtship was quite a bit different from most dating experiences today. They navigated the dating world without the technology modern couples take for granted.
“There were no computers and no pocket phones!” Mike explained, referring to the cellphones we have now.
Family landlines were located in the kitchen, where calls would be monitored and timed. Parental supervision was nonnegotiable, so a parent had to be present during any visits to each other’s houses. Young couples were limited to no more than two nights a week for dates, and often those dates included the whole family since cars weren’t as plentiful.
“It was [either] borrow their car or go with them!” Mike said.
Despite the restrictions, the couple had fun getting to know each other.
“We enjoyed dating from the very first date,” Frieda said.
They frequented ballgames and drivein movies. Mike and Frieda fell more in love the longer they dated. Mike said he was enamoured by Frieda’s personality, beauty, and character. Frieda found Mike adventurous, and she loved how much thought he put into things.
“He was so focused on the plans — what we did and where we went,” Frieda remembered. “I was always ready to go with him! Neither of us has changed in that respect.”
Their wedding day, June 27, 1965, reflected Mike’s love of sports and adventure. The couple planned their wedding and honeymoon in Daytona Beach, Florida, in time for the Firecracker 400 race on July 4. On their wedding day, Mike caused a bit of concern by playing a baseball game within hours of the ceremony. However, he did not keep his beautiful bride waiting; true to form, he showed up on time.
Everything went smoothly, and they were surrounded by friends and family. After leaving the Presbyterian Church, a friend drove the newlyweds to their hidden getaway car: a 1964 Plymouth Sport Fury.
They sped off toward their honeymoon adventure, but after just a mile, the car got a flat tire. Thankfully, Mike’s constant preparedness saved the day, and he was able to fix it promptly. The ride was long and hot, without a working air conditioner, so they ended up trading the car for a different one. However, they will never forget that car.
“Now we wish we had that Fury back,” Mike said.
The couple built their life together in Bedford County. Mike and Frieda were both educators for decades. Mike’s love for sports naturally led him to a career in coaching. He coached all sports, but focused primarily on basketball and baseball, while also teaching biology and science.
“My former coaches from Little League up were encouraging to me,” Mike said.
Frieda knew she wanted to teach from a young age. She taught first grade for 40 years, mainly at Eakin Elementary.
“I had three aunts whom I admired as teachers,” she said. “Guess I was just ‘born to teach!’”
While Frieda loved adventure and travel, in the early days of marriage, she sometimes had trouble keeping pace with her energetic husband, who seemed to never stop. Once, she complained to her grandmother-in-law that she didn’t think she could handle Mike’s schedule of ball games four nights a week while teaching every day.
“If you can’t keep up with him, somebody else will,” his grandmother said.
This surprising, yet practical, advice stuck with Frieda, and she changed her mindset as a result.
Sixty years later, these two lovebirds are still going strong. They had one son together, Chad Bone, and now have a daughter-in-law, Becky, and four precious grandchildren: Brett, Blake, Cassie, and Jacob.
Even after retirement, the couple is still busy seeking new adventures together on their Harley-Davidson motorcycles. They ride 200 to 300 miles per day regularly, sometimes covering as much as 600 miles in a single day. Their travels have taken them through most of the states, Canada, Mexico, and Nova Scotia. They’ve been to Daytona Bike Week and Sturgis, South Dakota’s Motorcycle Rally, numerous times. They have fun doing all sorts of outdoor activities during their travels.
“We enjoy sports, boating, canoeing, and camping. We have three different kinds of campers,” Mike said.
The Bones agree that, as well as having patience and being loyal, having fun doing things you love together is an essential part of a successful marriage. GN
