Forty years ago, on August 10, Doug and Phebe Greenwood got married. A bit more than a week ago, on August 11, they married each other again.
A lot happened between those two dates: a divorce, years of separation, and all the paths life can take. But over time, Doug and Phebe found their way back to each other—and slowly, they rebuilt their relationship and their family. Despite that, they never formally remarried.
That changed last week.
Part of the reason was Phebe’s terminal cancer diagnosis. But another part was an unexpected push from one of their grandchildren. According to Doug and Phebe, this grandchild figured out on her own that they weren’t legally married—just living together—and she wasn’t impressed.
“Let me get this straight,” she said, as she put the pieces together.
All of this led to Monday, August 11, when Doug, Phebe, their children, and a few close friends gathered on the front porch of the Greenwood home. There, with Mtr. Pamela and Fr. Peter, they asked God to restore the bond of marriage between Doug and Phebe.
“Doug, will you have this woman to be your wife… Will you love her, honor her, comfort her and keep her, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?”
“I will.”
“Phebe, will you have this man to be your husband…”
“I will.”
“Marriage, at its heart, is a commitment two people make to each other before God,” said Fr. Peter. “It was a blessing to be part of restoring the Greenwoods’ commitment to each other. My hope is that their remarriage serves as an encouraging example to us all—wherever we are on life’s journey.”