Golden Anniversary, Golden Moment

Fifty-five years after Gary Groesbeck ’72 first proposed to Grace (Waggoner) Groesbeck ’72 while parked near Lange Hall, he asked her once more. While their 50th wedding anniversary passed during the COVID-19 shutdown, the Groesbecks returned to Hardin-Simmons this year to finally celebrate their golden milestone — with Gary surprising Grace by reproposing at the place where their forever began.

“We met in the cafeteria line,” Grace recalls with a smile. What began as a simple exchange over meals quickly turned playful.

“I really liked to eat lunch with her. I would always, when she wasn’t looking, take her food or drink,” Gary admits.

Their courtship unfolded amid the rhythms of campus life in the early 1970s. Grace lived “in the basement” of her dorm and cheered on the Cowboys, while both joined social clubs and enjoyed campus traditions such as SING.

During Grace’s junior year, the couple parked near Lange Hall on a cool evening. It was there that Gary asked her to marry him. “I guess I was kind of surprised,” Grace says, looking back at the moment that began their forever.

Half a century later, standing near that same spot, Gary once again surprised Grace — this time with a golden anniversary reproposal that brought their love story full circle on the Hardin-Simmons University campus.

Returning to the Forty Acres, the Groesbecks found the campus both familiar and changed. “This all looks the same,” Gary said, gesturing toward Lange and Behrens Hall.

Other landmarks, however, had been transformed. Nix’s Hall, where they once lived, has been replaced by Prichard Hall. The old fountain is gone, replaced by a memorial pond and bridge. “Everything is beautiful,” Grace reflected.

When asked about the key to 55 years of marriage, the answer came without hesitation. “Jesus,” Grace said.

Their advice for young couples is simple, but hard-earned: “Hang in there, it gets better all the time.” Gary added with a grin, “Be sure you remember to say, ‘Yes, you’re probably right.’ It comes in handy.”

Looking back on their life together, they both agreed they’re “grateful for our time together and our kids and grandkids. And now we have a great-grandchild.”

The Groesbecks have remained close to HSU and the friends they made here. “Oh, yeah. Especially dorm mates,” Grace said. “We stay in contact with those who are still living. We enjoy them and sometimes get together.”

Their names now appear on HSU’s alumni wall — a lasting reminder of their place in university history. More than recognition, their story reflects the enduring value of the HSU experience: relationships that last a lifetime.