After James Wolfe died, his wife, Carolyn, couldn't help thinking, "What am I going to do?" "I was just praying that whole year, 'God, I just want your will done in my life,'" said Carolyn.
Around the same time, hundreds of miles away, Joe Beasley was grieving the loss of his wife, Bernice. Shortly thereafter, Joe called a friend to tell him the tragic news. It was through this friend that both Carolyn and Joe's lives would be made whole again.
Both deeply religious, the Beasleys and the Wolfes had been old family friends that bonded over the gospels but lost touch over time. The Beasleys had moved to Texas, where Joe was a preacher, and the Wolfes stayed in Athens County.
It was through their mutual friend that Joe and Carolyn rekindled their friendship. First, they consoled each other through the tough times. Later, their friendship started to blossom once more. "We were really becoming friends, other than just friends in the Gospel," explained Joe.
It didn't take long for Joe to realize that there was more than just a friendship growing between the two. One night after speaking to Carolyn, Joe couldn't sleep or get her out of his mind. He asked God if he had fallen in love with Carolyn.
"I asked Him if it was ok and He said, 'yes,'" explained Joe.
“ It's just amazing what the Lord has done to bring us together."
"The next morning Joe called Carolyn and told her that he could not sleep and that he thought they "would make a great team." Though it was not clear at the time, Joe was asking Carolyn to marry him. As the conversation continued, it finally hit Carolyn that Joe was proposing and she asked if she could call him back.
Carolyn hung up the phone and let out an exclamation of excitement before calling Joe back and telling him "yes."
Joe made plans to fly into Columbus and meet Carolyn. His daughter expressed concern that he wouldn't recognize Carolyn because they had not seen each other in thirteen years, but Joe was sure he would recognize her. Joe proudly told his daughter he would walk over to the first woman he thought was Carolyn and give her a kiss. "If it's not the right one, she'll slap my face."
When he arrived at the airport, he looked all around for Carolyn but couldn't find her. She was watching for him from the distance and spotted him wearing a western hat and boots. Just her type.
Upon finding Carolyn through the crowd, Joe went to her, got down on one knee and proposed. Everyone in the airport went about their business as if nothing was happening, but Carolyn and Joe felt like they were in a movie.
The joy did not subside there. The couple began planning their wedding, something that Carolyn did not have with her previous marriage and Joe only had a modest ceremony. "We carried on like young people," explained Carolyn, "we just had a good time."
The newlyweds moved to Texas so that Joe could continue his work preaching. Carolyn had difficulty adjusting to the new surroundings and could not find a job. On top of that, she could not find a buyer for her farm in Ohio. Together, the couple decided to move back to Ohio and live on the farm.
Within a short time, Joe began guest preaching at the Faith Harvest Church in Coolsville, which later became a permanent position. Her former parish, Concord Church, inquiring if she had any interest in preaching as well, contacted Carolyn and she now is also a preacher.
"It's just amazing what the Lord has done to bring us together and then to bring us back here…I would never have dreamed of being here, of being married or being back on the farm for that matter," said Carolyn.
