BY STACY L. NEITZEL
GLASGOW — James Clines and his wife have weathered more than a few storms during their nearly 49 years of marriage.
The Barren County native tied the knot in 1948 at age 22. His bride, Peggy, was just 16 years old. Between the two of them, the couple raised $45 to cover the cost of the nuptials.
Family life brought about responsibility.
Clines, now 70, enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1962 and worked for three years in the Medicore unit at the hospital. His primary responsibility was running EKGs on patients. It was during his tenure in the Army that the couple’s only child was born in Fort Dix, New Jersey.
Their daughter, Theresa, was born early — at a time when most premature babies “usually died,” said Clines. But their tiny little girl was a fighter, he said. Weighing a petite 4 pounds, 2 ounces, she was finally released from the hospital.
Her parents were thrilled to bring their daughter home and happily watched her grow over the years, reaching just 14 pounds by her first birthday.
Like his daughter, Clines was no stranger to adversity.
Growing up in Barren County, he came of age during WWII. He recalls walking an estimated three miles to Park City, where he attended school all 12 years.
“I waded through mud and snow up to my hind end,” said Clines.
His mother, he said, attempted to keep his feet dry during the trek by wrapping burlap sacks around his shoes. His lunch, carried in a metal pale, would freeze during the long, cold winter months before he could reach school.
After fulfilling his service to the Army, Clines found work at SKF in Glasgow. He began as a line mechanic and worked his way through the ranks to foreman before retiring after more than 30 years of service.
“I’ve worked hard all my life,” said Clines.
Today, he’s getting used to the slower pace of a retiree. The last 50 years have been a blur, he said.
“It seems like I still ought to be a teenager until I go to get up. Then, I know better,” he said.
