How I Met My Mate | He Swept Me Off My Skis: Garth and Cindy Horne

How I Met My Mate | He Swept Me Off My Skis: Garth and Cindy Horne

ROCKWALL/HEATH, TX (Feb. 11, 2026) I met my husband, Garth, in 1991 while living in Germany, where he was a young lieutenant stationed with the U.S. Army. Our paths crossed on a ski trip to an Austrian mountain, the kind of carefree weekend adventure you imagine in your twenties—until I tore my ACL. What should […]

How I Met My Mate | Two Directions, One Destiny: Mark and Becca Holland

How I Met My Mate | Two Directions, One Destiny: Mark and Becca Holland

ROCKWALL, TX (Feb. 11, 2026) Mark and I met while thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. The Appalachian Trail stretches more than 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine. Mark started in Maine hiking south to Georgia. I started in Georgia hiking north to Maine. Our paths crossed in New York where we shared what the trail ahead […]

How I Met My Mate | When the Cute Waiter Left his Number: Tim and Jennifer McCallum

How I Met My Mate | When the Cute Waiter Left his Number: Tim and Jennifer McCallum

ROCKWALL, TX (Feb. 10, 2026) Tim and I met in June the summer of 1992. I was 17 and he was 19. My best friend at the time and I walked into a restaurant to grab some dinner and he was our waiter. We ordered some food to-go, and in the to-go order he left me […]

How I Met My Mate | Roller Skating Romance: Dyrle and Bobbie Phillips

How I Met My Mate | Roller Skating Romance: Dyrle and Bobbie Phillips

ROCKWALL, TX (Feb. 9, 2026) Our story starts over 67 years ago when a new girl joined our youth group at church and caught my eye.  I was very interested in dating her.  I was looking for opportunities to invite her out on a date. She brought her high school annual to church for all her […]

How I Met Mate | Next Door to Forever: Ben and Stacy Lynn Massar

How I Met Mate | Next Door to Forever: Ben and Stacy Lynn Massar

ROCKWALL, TX (Feb. 9, 2026) Sometimes the best love stories don’t begin with fireworks. They begin with friendly neighbors, crossed paths, and a little help from fate. Our story starts in Heath, in the Buffalo Creek community, where my parents were friends with the man who lived right next door. They were always telling me […]

How I Met My Mate | When Bumper Stickers Did the Matching: Chuck and Eva Hummel

How I Met My Mate | When Bumper Stickers Did the Matching: Chuck and Eva Hummel

Chuck and Eva Hummel “NOW”. Photo by Jill Cornelius with JC-Originals Photography. ‘Single But Looking’ ROCKWALL COUNTY, TX (Feb. 8, 2026) Long before dating apps and swipes, romance sometimes arrived on four wheels—with a bumper sticker. It was the early 1980s, and I was working as an apartment leasing agent in Garland. One rainy day, […]

How I Met My Mate | When Love is Patient (and Persistant): Charles and Tamika Williams

How I Met My Mate | When Love is Patient (and Persistant): Charles and Tamika Williams

ROCKWALL COUNTY, TX (Feb. 7, 2026) Charles and I met in July 2003 at his cousin’s 30th birthday party. His cousin was my niece by marriage. And I attended the party with my ex-husband (as friends) and Charles attended the party with his stepfather. When we met, there was instant chemistry. He told me that we were […]

How I Met My Mate | Love at First Translate: Blake and Ani Avetisyan Gruenewald

How I Met My Mate | Love at First Translate: Blake and Ani Avetisyan Gruenewald

Photo by Heather Lanae Photography. ROCKWALL, TX (Feb. 5, 2026) – Blake and I moved to Dallas on the exact same day — though we didn’t discover that until much later. He came for work, and I arrived from Argentina to study abroad as an international student. At the time, we had no idea how our […]

How I Met My Mate | A Chance Encounter: Rockwall County residents Sandra and Mitch Ownby

How I Met My Mate | A Chance Encounter: Rockwall County residents Sandra and Mitch Ownby

Sandra and Mitch Ownby “NOW” by Kristi Dickinson Photography. Editor’s Note: Each year for Valentine’s Day, Blue Ribbon News asks local couples to share stories of how they met. Publishing their tales of true love has become one of our favorite traditions. This year the response was overwhelming. Stay tuned to our Facebook page as […]

Printed with Love — Blue Ribbon News Valentine’s Issue is Hot off the Press

Printed with Love — Blue Ribbon News Valentine’s Issue is Hot off the Press

ROCKWALL COUNTY, TX (Jan. 30, 2026) — Our Valentine’s-themed print edition is hot off the press and on its way to mailboxes across Rockwall County, featuring submitted stories from local couples about how they met. Just ahead of Valentine’s Day, we’ll draw names from among those who shared their love stories and award gifts from […]

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