Yvonne Turk and her girlfriend felt freedom was calling. They had just graduated and thought it would be a big thing to take the bus to Portland, Ore., and stay at the YWCA.
Sam Palombo was in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and was stationed in Bremerton. With a 72-hour pass in hand, he and his friend thought it might be a good time to go to Portland and look for girls.
When they got on the Greyhound bus the guys went to the back row. That’s when they noticed two girls sitting in front of them.
“I said ‘If we make contact with these girls, I want the blonde,’ ” Sam said.
The blonde was Yvonne.
“Once I saw her I knew I wouldn’t look at any other girl,” Sam said.
Sam and Yvonne Palombo of Marysville will celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary Friday.
The couple were married Oct. 31, 1953, in Marysville.
Sam and Yvonne have three children and seven grandchildren.
While on that Greyhound bus, the couple got to chatting and got to know each other during the ride and throughout the weekend. They went to see “War of The Worlds” at the movies and traveled back to Washington together.
They stayed in touch by telephone and by writing letters to each other.
“We still have the letters,” Yvonne said.
Every chance he got Sam would hitchhike to Marysville. Being in a Navy uniform meant that he didn’t have to wait long for a ride. The couple would spend time together, then Sam would have to get money from Yvonne for a ride and the ferry back to Seattle and Bremerton. These trips lasted for nine months.
When it came to proposing Sam and Yvonne parked the car at Mission Beach and he asked her how many children she wanted.
“That was it,” Yvonne said. “We took the Empire Builder to New York and Philadelphia for our honeymoon.”
Sam’s family lived in Philadelphia. They spoke Italian. Although Yvonne didn’t know what they were saying she soon came to realize that Sam had a wonderful family.
Yvonne says she fell for Sam because he was a nice guy and because of his good looks.
“He looked like Elvis Presley in a sailor hat,” she said. “His eyebrows were so cute.”
Sam said he was struck by Yvonne’s beautiful face and her poise.
“I also liked her smart-aleck answers,” Sam said.
He remembers when he tried to kiss Yvonne once then tried again.
“She said, ‘Try that again and I’ll poke your eyes out,’ ” Sam said. “What can I say? She was the perfect person for me and was just a beautiful girl.”
Sam and Yvonne have endured the ups and downs of marriage because of guidance from Jesus Christ, Yvonne said. Faith has kept the couple strong in their marriage and has kept their love strong. The couple attend Lake Stevens Assembly of God Church where their son-in-law and daughter are the pastors.
Sam retired in 1998 from GTE-Verizon. He and Yvonne bought a motorcycle and have more than 100,000 miles on it, their fourth Harley-Davidson.
“We love our bike,” Sam said.
The couple bought the new Ultra Classic Electra Glide from Sound Harley in Marysville where Sam is the chaplain of the Puget Sound Harley Owners Group chapter.
Yvonne describes Sam as kind and compassionate. He’s sweet, a good dad and a great husband.
“I’ve always been a housewife and a gardener,” Yvonne said. “He’s taken really good care of me.”
Sam says that Yvonne has been an excellent mother taking care of the kids like no one he’s ever known.
“As a wife…” Sam said. “She’s a wonderful wife to me.”
For more information on Love Story please call Christina Harper at 425-339-3491 or e-mail harper@heraldnet.com.
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