28 Feb 2023 Couple of the Month: Delbra and Milton King
HIS STORY:
Where did you grow up: McGehee (Desha County).
Education: I earned a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Central Arkansas (UCA).
Place of employment: Retired from Green Bay Packaging-Arkansas Kraft Division.
church activities: I am an associate minister of New Zion Temple Church of God in Christ.
Hobbies/special interests: I love traveling, going to sporting events and hunting.
How would you describe yourself: I am a family man. I enjoy participating in my family gatherings and family reunions and supporting my grandchildren in their activities.
one thing people don’t know
about you: I have visited all 50 states and 11 countries, and I am a serious person, but I smile a lot.
What is your motto: Find a way to win because winning is out there. You have to make up your mind about what you want, ask the Lord for it and then look for it.
Best thing about having a large family: l love that we get to share life’s experiences. You can see yourself in many different ways as you watch your children grow.
What advice do you have for young
couples who are raising kids: I advise young couples to love and trust God, love and trust each other and work together. Children don’t come with manuals, so you must learn how to raise them. Some things that worked for your parents will not work for your situation; you must be willing to learn what to do together.
HER STORY:
Where did you grow up: Hope (Hempstead County).
Education: I earned a Bachelor of Arts from Hendrix College.
Place of employment: I teach eighth grade science for Conway Public Schools.
Family: Alisha King Conway, Geneva King, James King, Kamela King, Coy King (deceased), Jeremy King (deceased), Joshua King, Christopher King, Carrington King, Mykela King McGill and Justus King. We have six grandchildren.
church activities: I belong to the New Zion Temple Church of God in Christ in Conway, where I serve as chairperson of the Missionary Circle. I also am a member of the Young Women’s Christian Council and teacher of the Prayer and Bible Band Auxiliary.
How would you describe yourself: I am a person who loves people. I love to see them become the best version of themselves. I am a helper by nature and sometimes it is hard to say no, but I have learned that every person or situation doesn’t require me to physically help. Sometimes the requirement is for me to pray.
What is one thing people don’t know about you: Most people don’t know that our family was featured on the now-syndicated TV show “Rescue 911.” It aired on Jan. 11, 1994, and can still be viewed on YouTube. It is titled “Baby on Board.”
BEST THING about having a large family: Our family is like a sports team with the spirit of true champions. We support each other in the wins and the losses. We have had our share of both, but it’s great and very sobering to know that you have each other’s backs. Literally.
What advice do you have for young couples who are raising kids: I encourage young couples to remember that God gave them His best when He blessed them with their children. It was not accidental that those children were given to them and not, say, to me, to love, train and enjoy. They are your greatest asset, and they grow up way too fast!
Their STORY:
We met at a college basketball game in 1976 when UCA played Hendrix at UCA. Milton’s cousin, Rose, was coming to see him and had invited Delbra to come too. We were casually introduced and would not see each other again until two years later. A very special event had happened in both our lives before we saw one another again — we had, independently of the other, given our hearts and lives to Jesus Christ.
We met again at Veasey Hall, which was Rose’s dorm. Music was one of our common interests, so Rose and Milton planned to meet in the parlor and practice singing. Once again, he was unaware that Delbra and another friend would be joining the cousins.
We sang and enjoyed the evening, but before we left, I took the chance to talk to her and asked her out. We started dating and were inseparable; a few months later I proposed, and she said yes. We were married Oct. 6, 1979, in Hope. The name of the church, which is still standing 43 years later, is the Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ.
We continue to have a weekly date just to go somewhere and spend that special time with each other. Sometimes we eat somewhere, and other times we go to a movie or walk on the Tucker Creek Trail. We consider ourselves best friends, and neither of us could imagine walking through this life without holding the other’s hand.
