Crystal & Steve Maynard’s Story

“We were 5 years old when we would have playdates at Steve’s house while our parents were playing cards. We would sit on the floor and watch a Winnie The Pooh wind up T.V. for hours. One day when my parents called for me to leave, I kissed Steve on the cheek and told him good-bye. There were so many playdates. A couple of years later, I had a Halloween party. I was allowed to invite my cousins and a friend. Steve was the only friend I invited. He was Batman and I was Donald Duck. On the way to my house for the party, Steve’s cheap little plastic costume he got from the local IGA ripped.  His dad had some silver mining masking tape in his trunk that he used to tape it together.  Steve said he was so embarrassed during the party because he felt like everyone was looking at the silver masking tape, but I didn’t notice.  

We always talked and remained friends throughout elementary and middle school.  I played basketball 24/7 and Steve had his own Karate school where he taught hundreds of students over the years. He gave private lessons, refereed, and judged competitions. He was always the tough guy in school and had quite the reputation for being a bad boy. He was a three-time state champion kickboxer and I always thought that was so attractive. But I still only saw him as a great friend.  

When I was a freshman, we started talking more and spent a lot of time on the phone.  He also started showing up at my basketball games. One time he came to an away game in Matewan, WV, when his team, the Redskins, were on TV in the playoffs! I knew something was up. I thought he must like someone on my team, but never dreamed he was there watching me. I even enrolled in his class but couldn’t be disciplined enough for karate. I would always talk out of turn (imagine that) and would get punished by doing push-ups the entire class.  

On February 14, 1991, he bought me a huge balloon filled with roses, candy and a stuffed bear for Valentine’s Day and asked me to date him. I was taken by surprise because we had known each other so long and hadn’t really thought of each other in that way. I thought about it for a while then eventually said yes.  

Steve had goals that he wouldn’t waiver on. I wanted to go on to college and play basketball and he wanted to go into the United States Marine Corp.  I was a senior when he left for boot camp. Before he left, he asked me to marry him. We were 17 years old, just babies, but I said YES. No way was I going to let him move and I not go with him. When he left for boot camp, it was one of the hardest days of my life. He went to Parris Island/Camp Lejeune for 3 months. I would write him one letter each day, never missing a day for 3 months.  

Once he got out, he could choose where he wanted to be stationed since he finished first in his class. He chose Washington, D.C., so he could go watch the Redskins whenever he wanted. I graduated high school on June 4, 1994 and we were married June 11, 1994 and moved 10 hours away and the rest is history!  We will celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary next year.”