Mason-based couple Dale and Barbara White had a very Cincinnati honeymoon fifty years ago.
The couple was married on June 9, 1972, and spent their honeymoon at the just-opened Kings Island Campground and amusement park.
Dale said in a release that they drove their Midas Mini-Motorhome to Lebanon, Ohio, where they had “scoped out a church where we would be married.” The couple was married by a preacher with “two of our favorite couples” Grayce and Harvey Toles, and Buck and Patty Boston to witness.
Dale seems to relish every moment of their wedding day, and can still recount in clear detail what the couple was doing at every hour of their wedding day. On their two-hour anniversary, Dale said they went to the Golden Lamb for their wedding dinner with friends, and “By our four-hour anniversary, we were headed to the newly-opened Kings Island amusement park where we camped in our new vehicle.”
The newlyweds called their parents from the pay phones at Kings Island to tell them the good news, then spent the day in the park and finished it off by watching the nightly fireworks that continue to this day.
Over the next four years, Dale and Barbara had two children, Jason and Amye, and have since settled in Mason near The Golf Center at Kings Island.
Knowing their love for the amusement park, Jason and Amye planned a surprise stay for their parents at Kings Island’s Camp Cedar on June 9, where the couple arrived to a "Happy 50th Anniversary" banner.
Dale and Barbara were escorted to Kings Island by Camp Cedar general manager Terrie Zajo, where they took pictures just like they had 50 years ago. "I loved walking the park and reminiscing with them," Zajo said. "They are such a sweet couple, truly in love for now over 50 years and have awesome memories of Kings Island."
“Every minute, hour, and year I celebrate my love and anniversary with Barbara,” said Dale.
Read Dale’s full recounting of their anniversary here:
"On that day in June of 1972, is where it all began. Barbara and I drove our new Midas Mini-Motorhome to Lebanon Ohio where, the week before, we scoped out a church where we would be married. The preacher was a nice man, and we were joined by two of our favorite couples - Grayce and Harvey Toles, and Buck and Patty Boston. Within our one-hour anniversary, I had emphatically said "I Do," and I really did mean it. Barbara had her long hair pulled back and had on a short white dress. I had white pants, a lightly striped shirt and a white tie. Within our two-hour anniversary we were heading to The Golden Lamb Restaurant for our wedding dinner with our friends. By our four-hour anniversary, we were headed to the newly opened Kings Island amusement park where we camped in our new vehicle. Skipping forward approximately twelve one-hour anniversaries, we entered the park and proceeded to the payphones (this was twenty plus years before cellphones). We called our parents to tell them the good news then enjoyed the next eight or so hour-anniversaries that culminated with fireworks at the park. At approximately our one-month anniversary we headed west in our motorhome to see many sites neither of us had seen before. Around our two-year anniversary our Amye was born. Jason came along after our four-year anniversary. From there we celebrated many anniversaries work, birthdays, more traveling, but I never forgot what brought these beautiful celebrations to my life - every minute, hour, and year I celebrate my love and anniversary with Barbara."
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