Barb and Ann: Participants in the WE DO Campaign who requested a license at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 9, 2012 in Durham, NC.
Ann and Barb met over 30 years ago in Saginaw, MI. Ann had been divorced from her husband of 25 years. Three of Ann’s five children were teens, still living at home. Another was a senior in college and the oldest, married with a child. Barb had never been married and had no children.
After almost a year of working together, Ann and Barb had decided that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. Within six months, Barb had moved in with Ann and her 3 teens. Over the next 2 years, they shared a household which incorporated all the normal angst and joys of teenagers, as well as the death of Ann’s mother. Though challenging, the kids made a surprisingly smooth adjustment to the new woman in their mother’s life.
Once the youngest had established himself in college and the others were on their own, Barb and Ann took a huge step: in 1985 they both were accepted for admission to a Clinical Social Work program at UNC. They sold the house and relocated to Chapel Hill with subsequent graduation in ‘88. Since then the children have added spouses and additional grandchildren, currently 13 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. Ann and Barb have bought and paid off a home, entered and retired from new careers as therapists (Ann continues to remain partially active), and have watched their children grow to middle age.
This June, to celebrate their 30th year together, they will travel to NY to be married. On May 9th, they will participate in an action in Durham, NC to bring to the attention of others that they shouldn’t have to travel so far to be married and that they are no different from any others who have spent a committed lifetime together.
– Barb and Ann
