“We Lived Happily Ever After”: Milt And Etta Share Their Love Story
In the summer of 1955, Milt Ehrlich knew he’d met the love of his life. Her name was Etta, and they were both applying to be counselors at a summer camp for children with special needs.
“You’re going to marry me,” he told her. She was initially unsure, so much so she made Milt wait 5 years before ultimately saying yes.
Throughout her life, Etta was consumed by her art and appreciated Milt’s enthusiasm for helping her find the raw materials she would use. He frequented garage sales to hunt for objects such as tools or bottles — so long as they had charm.
Etta and Milt Ehrlich in Prince Edward Island, Canada in the early 1980s. Photo courtesy of the Ehrlich family.
In 2014, the couple came to StoryCorps to record the story of their love, and talk about how they used art and creativity as a vehicle for grappling with aging, grief, and the fear of death.
They were married for almost 62 years, until Etta’s death in August of 2021. She was 90 years old. Milt came back to StoryCorps a year later to remember her.
Top Photo: Milt and Etta Ehrlich on their wedding anniversary in Prince Edward Island, Canada in August. 1985. Photo courtesy of the Ehrlich family.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired Nov. 4, 2022, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
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A Couple Determined to Marry: How Jack Baker and Michael McConnell Became Husbands in 1971
In 1966, Michael McConnell and Jack Baker were introduced to one another by a friend at a Halloween barn party in Norman, Oklahoma. They quickly fell in love and decided to get married, despite the fact that it was illegal at the time.
In the Spring of 1970, they walked into a government center in downtown Minneapolis, dressed in suits and ties, and applied for a marriage license. A few days later, they received a letter saying that their license had been denied. But they didn’t give up.
Close-up of Jack Baker and Michael McConnell holding hands, featuring their wedding rings, in Minneapolis, Minn., March 2017. By Jhaleh Akhavan for StoryCorps.
They filed an appeal that went up to the United States Supreme Court. And even though their appeal was dismissed, in 1971 they found a way to become husbands. Jack and Michael came to StoryCorps to talk about their relationship, and how they made the law work in their favor.
Michael McConnell (left) and Jack Baker (right) in their backyard in Minneapolis, Minn., July 2015.
Top Photo: Michael McConnell (left) and Jack Baker (right) with their wedding cake, featuring a two-groom topper, in Minneapolis, Minn. on September 3, 1971. By Paul Hagen.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired October 14, 2022 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Hunny Reiken and Elliot Reiken
It was the summer of 1946 in the Catskills. Hunny Feller and her identical twin sister, Bunny, were waitresses at a hotel. Another set of identical twins, Elliot and Danny Reiken, worked as musicians in a band there.
At StoryCorps, Hunny and Elliot (below in 2010) remembered what happened when the twins met the twins.
Originally broadcast May 28, 2010, on NPR’s Morning Edition. It was rebroadcast on May 6, 2022 on the same program.
Top photo: Danny and Bunny, and Hunny and Elliott, at their joint wedding. Courtesy of the Reiken family.
Bottom photo: Hunny and Elliott Reiken at their StoryCorps interview in New York City.
“We’re Stuck With Each Other”: An Unconventional Quarantine Love Story
Neil Kramer and Sophia Lansky married in 1996, but it didn’t work out. After they divorced, Neil moved across the country, but they still leaned on each other.
At the end of 2019, when the pipes in Sophia’s apartment burst, she was stuck with no place to stay. So she called the one person she knew she could depend on.
Neil Kramer and Sophia Lansky holding hands in Queens, New York, in October of 2021, on what would have been their 25th wedding anniversary. Courtesy of Neil Kramer.
Sophia moved in with Neil at the beginning of 2020. Coincidentally, Neil’s mother also moved back in with him around the same time, and the three of them decided to share the two-bedroom New York apartment for what they thought would be “a few weeks”.
Elaine Kramer (left), Neil Kramer, and Sophia Lansky in Queens NY, in May of 2021. Courtesy of Neil Kramer.
Exes Sophia and Neil came to StoryCorps to talk about what they’ve learned from living together during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Early on during the pandemic, Neil started chronicling their odd living arrangements through a photography project.
From left to right: Sophia, Neil, and Elaine watching the news in March of 2020. Queens, New York. Courtesy of Neil Kramer.
He’s still taking photographs of their shared experience. And the three of them are able to collectively tap into the humor and absurdity of their life.
Top Photo: Neil Kramer and Sophia Lansky on February 9th, 2022 in Queens, New York. Courtesy of Neil Kramer.
Originally aired February 11, 2022, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“You Have a Place in My Life”: An Old Flame Finds a Way Forward
When Mary Clark and Ron Gibson were in their 30s, they began a whirlwind romance. What started as a white-hot connection flamed out quickly.
As time passed the two fell out of touch, living their lives on separate tracks. Nearly thirty years later Ron had a health scare and Mary got back in touch.
Mary Clark and Ron Gibson after they reunited. Courtesy of Mary Clark.
When Ron and Mary reunited, they thought about picking up where they left off. The pair came to StoryCorps to reflect on what they’ve left behind and where they are now.
Top Photo: Mary Clark and Ron Gibson at their StoryCorps interview in San Francisco on August 5, 2021. By Sam Fickinger for StoryCorps.
Originally aired October 1, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“Never Say Goodbye”: Remembering The Love Between Danny And Annie
Danny Perasa proposed to Annie, his future wife, on their first date, and she accepted.
The two of them came to StoryCorps in 2004 to talk about that first date—and how their love for each other grew over their nearly 30 year relationship.
Annie and Danny at their StoryCorps Interview.
After their first interview, Danny and Annie instantly became part of the StoryCorps family. Danny came back to StoryCorps again and again to interview the characters he knew, and to talk about his love for Annie. Then, in 2006, Danny was diagnosed with a fast-spreading, terminal cancer. He wanted to record one last interview with Annie, so StoryCorps went to their home in Brooklyn. Danny Perasa died a week later.
After his passing, Annie received thousands of condolence letters from StoryCorps listeners and she read one every day until she died of COVID-19 in 2021. She was 79.
Top Photo: Danny and Annie on their wedding day (Courtesy of the participants).
Listen to an update from Annie in 2013, where she explained the philosophy that she shared with Danny, “Never Say Goodbye.”
Watch “Danny & Annie,” the StoryCorps animation of the Perasas’ interviews.
Originally aired August 11, 2004, on NPR’s Morning Edition, It was rebroadcast on August 20, 2021 on the same program.
“We Mesh Together Like One”: A Miami Love Story
In 1971 George Ju was running a Chinese restaurant in Miami, Florida. George was born in China and immigrated to the United States at the age of 10. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he settled in Miami, and this is where he met Angela Rivas.
One night, while attending her friend’s engagement party, Angela met George, who was cooking for the event. George was immediately smitten, and there began their journey of love and laughter.
Angela Ju and George Ju in Los Angeles, California Chinatown, in 1988. Courtesy of MJ Moneymaker.
George and Angela Ju came to StoryCorps, nearly 50 years later, to talk about falling in love and staying in love.
Top Photo: Angela Ju and George Ju at their StoryCorps interview in Spring Hill, Florida on October 21, 2018. By Morgan Feigal-Stickles for StoryCorps.
Originally aired March 19, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
A COVID Love Story: Detroit Couple Reflect on How a Difficult Year Brought Them Closer Together
When they first met, it didn’t take long for Namira and Omar Anani to fall in love. For Omar it was instant, but for Namira, it was Omar’s small acts of kindness that made her realize he was the one.
They got married in November of 2019, but just four months into their marriage, their busy lives changed as Namira, a non-profit lawyer and Omar, a restaurateur, were faced with a slew of challenges brought on by the arrival of COVID-19.
They came to StoryCorps to reflect on a difficult year and how it ultimately brought them closer together.
Photo: Namira and Omar Anani at their wedding in 2019. Courtesy of Namira Islam Anani.
Top Photo: Namira and Omar Anani in 2020. Courtesy of Namira Islam Anani.
This interview was recorded in partnership with the Arab American National Museum. It is part of the Anwar Collection of Muslim Voices through StoryCorps’ American Pathways initiative. This initiative is made possible by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art and an Anonymous Foundation. Additional support is provided by the Stuart Family Foundation. It will be archived at the Library of Congress.
Originally aired February 19th, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Love In The Time Of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”: “I Was Ready To Bust Out Of The Closet With Rainbows And Glitter.”
Mike Rudulph grew up near Birmingham, Alabama and enlisted in the Marines when he was 20 years old. At the time, he hoped that the military environment would bring him the sense of purpose he had been missing.
This was in 2000, during the era of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” when LGBTQ people in the military couldn’t serve openly.
Mike went on his first deployment to Iraq in 2003. When he got home, he met the man who would later become his husband, Neil Rafferty.
Photo: Mike Rudulph and Neil Rafferty at their StoryCorps interview in Birmingham, Alabama on April 18, 2015. By Carolina Escobar for StoryCorps.
They got married in 2018, the same year that Neil ran for public office in Alabama — and won! He is the first openly gay man to serve in the Alabama State legislature.
At StoryCorps in Birmingham, Alabama, Mike and Neil sat down to remember the early days of their relationship.
Top Photo: Mike Rudulph and Neil Rafferty in 2019. Courtesy of Mike Rudulph.
Bottom Photo: Mike Rudulph and Neil Rafferty. Courtesy of Neil Rafferty.
Originally aired August 15, 2020, on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday.
A Love Kept Secret for 60 Years, Revealed During Quarantine
Growing up in Kansas the son of a railroad worker, Ken Felts could always be sure of two things: he’d never spend long in any one town before his father had to move on in search of work, and they’d always attend church on Sundays. It was a lonely childhood.
But in the late 1950s, Ken moved to California and found the love of his life, a coworker named Phillip. Both in their 20s, Ken and Phillip were inseparable during the two years they spent together, before the weight of Ken’s religious background became too much for him to bear. He left California — and Phillip — to return to Kansas and lead a straight life.
Kenneth Felts (L) and his first love Phillip (R) in the 1950s. Courtesy of Kenneth Felts.
Ken is now 90 years old, a father and grandfather. But he never forgot Phillip or forgave himself for the decision he made. So, in March 2020, while under quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ken finally told his daughter, Rebecca, the secret he had been keeping for more than 60 years.
Top Photo: Kenneth Felts and Rebecca Mayes after their StoryCorps interview in Arvada, CO in July 2020. Courtesy of Kenneth Felts and Rebecca Mayes for StoryCorps.
Originally aired July 17, 2020, on NPR’s Morning Edition.