Love Story: Alan and Sandra Welch of Bay Shore

Alan Welch of Bay Shore recalls how smitten he was with his future wife, Sandra, when they were both in grammar school.

I grew up in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, the seventh son in our family of eight boys. When I was 10 years old and in the fifth grade at PS 113, I was a safety patrol monitor. My post was to watch the kids as they came down the stairs at dismissal time.

There was a girl in the third grade - new to our school - who really caught my eye. Each day as she passed by, my heart would skip a beat. One day, I pulled her out of the line and told her I suspected she was chewing gum . . . she would have to stand with me and hold my hand until everyone had passed.

She really got upset, and told me she had not been chewing gum at all. She had blond hair, big blue eyes and a Southern drawl.

When the last of the kids came down the stairs, we left and started walking home in the same direction. I asked her where she was from, and she said she had just moved to the area from Rossville, Ga. Her name was Sandra Lee.

Sandra and I walked home together after school for the next few days and talked. Being that we were 8 and 10 years old, we soon found other interests. We remained friends and saw each other at church, Sunday school and other youth group activities. During our teens, we were dating other people.

One Thursday evening in 1959, we left choir practice and walked home together. Sandra was now 19, and I was 21. I told her I was no longer going steady. She told me she wasn't going steady, either. I asked if I could call her, and she said yes. Well, the next day I did call her and asked her for a movie date on Saturday night.

Less than a year later, on June 18, 1960, Sandra and I were married. Now, after 50 years, four children and five grandchildren, I still hold her hand as often as I can, and she still makes my heart skip a beat. Sometimes when I look at her, I feel like that little fifth grade kid once again!

Sandra and I celebrated our 50th anniversary by renewing our vows. Our children and grandchildren hosted a reception that was attended by family and friends. Many of them had also been with us on our wedding day. We have truly been blessed!

For many years, Sandra enjoyed teaching nursery school and pre-kindergarten children. I had a long banking career and then worked in the library at HBO. I retired from there in 2008.