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Show Wecfcfing TCanner Lifetime of Love The wonderful marriage of Mattie and LaMar Tuckett Christy Hardman STAFF WRITER Mattie Bellows and LaMar Tuckett were married for 60 years, and to the end they loved each other and shared ever}' aspect of their lives. Together, Mattie and LaMar raised six children, four boys and two daughters. "Family to them was the most important thing on the earth," eldest son Randy said. "Nothing else mattered. Growing up, we didn't have the best of everything. In life nothing comes easy. You have to work hard to get it." Mattie and LaMar knew that, and they worked together to make their family a success. "Everything they did they did together," Randy said. "They hated to go somewhere without the other. The words LaMar and Matlie were synonymous to the people in this town." "Dad and Mother's favorite thing to do together was to fish," he said. Their son Paul said that it wasn't so much that they both loved to do all the same things, but that they loved each other. Paul said they would spend six hours out in a boat together. , "It seemed like they loved the same things, but maybe Dad didn't enjoy the fishing so much as she did, but he did it for Mom. Mom loved to fish, and Dad knew how much she loved it." Paul said that when LaMar was dying, he told Randy to take care of Mattie. "He told him be sure you take her fishing. Randy bought a pontoon boat so we could wheel Mom right on in her wheelchair. She'd sit there on the couch and read her book and we'd cast for her and she'd tell us where to cast." Besides spending much of their time together, they spent quality time with their children. They took their family on many family outings. Paul said that one of their favorite things to do was to go to Strawberry. Their children learned how to love each other and how to be responsible, caring adults. "Dad could have made a lot more money in this business, but his priority was always family first," Randy said. "He taught me that you share your successes and your disappointments with them. But that they always come first." Mattie and LaMar spent as See TUCKETT* 4 Courtesy photo SIDE BY SIDE: Mattie and LaMar Tuckett knew that hard work was one secret to maintaining a good marriage. They worked together through almost 60 years of marriage, and raised six children. |