‘Hey, we made it’

LAUREL – Carrol Lipp keeps a harmonica in his pocket.

He keeps it close so he can serenade his bride, Glendora “Tootie,” with “Somewhere My Love” before she drifts off to sleep each night. The Andy Williams tune is blown steady through Carrol’s lips as his weathered hands work the instrument to form the playful melody.

It’s a song that sets the soundtrack to a special love story 20 years strong.

“There’s no shadow or doubt in my mind that the Lord knew what was best and put us together,” Carrol said.

The couple has much to celebrate this Valentine’s Day with their 20th wedding anniversary and Carrol turning 100 years old. Friends and family from near and far helped the couple celebrate both occasions at a gathering last weekend.

As they reflect on their lives and how their paths crossed, they can’t help but be thankful and praise God for leading them to each other.

Carrol was born on a Dixon county farm on Valentine’s Day 1924. And his mother bestowed his middle name of Valentine.

“The old doctor that delivered me came from Martinsburg in a horse and buggy the day I was born,” Carrol said. “I was supposed to have been born in January so I was late. I weighed over 11 pounds. The doctor chewed my mom out for waiting that long. But then it wouldn’t be what it is,” Carrol said.

He helped on the family farm, raising livestock and growing crops, graduating from high school in 1941. From there, he farmed in Nebraska , Wyoming and Missouri, and even worked as a chef at an Alaskan fishing camp.

He’s still “a darn good cook,” Tootie said and lists chili among his specialties.

Carrol spent 20 years working at the Yellowstone Boys & Girls Ranch in Montana. When he retired, he decided it was time to come back “home” to Laurel.

Tootie was born in Minnesota but moved to the Laurel area when she was 8 years old.

“They were just building Highway 20 then and we came up in our Model T,” 96-year-old Tootie said.

She worked in a local grocery store, delivering milk several times a week. She also worked alongside her late husband, Don Brittell, in the family’s floor cleaning business.

After Don died in 2002, Tootie worked alongside her son, Nick, and that’s how she first crossed paths with Carrol.

He had broken his leg and needed help cleaning his floors, hiring the business to tackle the job, Tootie recalled.

“He wanted to know if anybody would do the windows, too. I said, ‘Well, I can do them.’ He’s on the inside and I’m on the outside. He’s almost standing in the sink in the kitchen,” she said with a smile.

They also attended the same local church.

“One thing lead to another,” as the story goes. Fishing trips, fountain sodas and dinner dates came next.

He proposed on New Year’s Eve 2003 after a home-cooked shrimp dinner and pleasant conversation.

On one knee, Carrol presented a diamond, a surprise to Tootie.

“I told her, ‘I’m an orphan. You’re a widow. The Bible says take care of widows and orphans. Let’s take care of each other. Will you marry me?’” Carrol recalled.

Six weeks later, the two tied the knot, on Valentine’s Day.

It worked perfectly as Carrol wanted to get married before he turned 80, accomplishing his goal with just a few hours to spare.

The Lipps keep track on the calendar of the months as they roll by. It’s been 240 months now since they said “I do.”

The diamond and sapphire wedding band doesn’t fit on Tootie’s finger anymore but it still sparkles and shine from its original box.

Most days, Carrol and Tootie enjoy breakfast together and then head to the Laurel Senior Center. Carrol plays pool while Tootie plays cards and socializes over a cup of coffee. In the afternoon, Tootie usually takes a nap and Carrol heads out to his woodworking shop in the garage.

Over the years, Carrol has handcrafted baby cradles, rolling pins with holders, and pool cues, among other items.

“I’m totally at peace with the world when I’m doing it,” Carrol said.

Time, it goes fast. One hundred years can come and go in a flash, Carrol said.

That’s why it’s important for the couple to hold on to each passing minute along with each other.

“We are just thankful that we’re able to be together,” Tootie said. “We look at each other and say, ‘Hey, we made it.’”