Sol and Darlene Ferguson have been married 61 years.

When you hear about a boy from the Colville Indian Reservation who meets a girl from Kansas City, in Japan of all places, you know you’re in for an interesting story. And for Sol and Darlene Ferguson it’s a tale with a happy ending.

Sol’s father had been drafted in 1944, and when the Ferguson family left for Japan in 1947, they made the news. “I went over with eight siblings and came home with 11,” Sol said. “We were the largest family to be deployed at that time.”

Darlene came from an Army family as well. She arrived in Japan in 1949 and quickly spotted Sol playing pool with his brothers at the NCO Club. She asked her mom, “Do you think they’d let me play pool with them?” Her mom replied, “Go ask!”

So she did.Read more. Cindy Hval, SR

Can you imagine your 16-year-old daughter or 18-year-old son getting married?

Daryl and Ginnie Williams sit in their Spokane living room Nov. 8. They both graduated from West Valley High in 1969, but never knew each other. Jesse Tinsley photo

They walked down the same halls at West Valley High School – had some of the same teachers, knew the same people, and graduated together in the class of 1969. Yet Daryl Williams and Ginnie Schmidt never met.

Fast forward to West Valley’s 20th reunion. They both attended. The reunion photo shows him in the back row and she a couple of rows in front of him. They didn’t meet then either.

It took social media to accomplish what attending the same school couldn’t. In August 2011, Daryl posted on Facebook that he’d like to get in touch with his classmates. Ginnie saw that post, thanks to a mutual friend. She sent him a private message and asked if he’d like meet for coffee or a drink. Read More. Cindy Hval, SR

Have you connected with former classmate via Facebook or other social media sites?