With over 1,500 dating apps, 100-plus major social media platforms, and a global population of 8.3 billion, connecting with the perfect person should be a breeze. But in the wake of these current technological advancements and their entrance into the mainstream dating scheme, love isn’t so much of an open door as it is a convoluted screen that pulls our generation farther away from the real qualities of intimacy and togetherness one seeks in a serious romantic relationship.
What hope, then, remains for today’s couples, and those not yet in touch with that “special someone?” Technology can be positively incorporated into today’s relationships. About 60% of long-distance relationships are now successful, as opposed to much lower statistics in the pre-technology age. For couples near and far, 88% cite the ease of contacting one another through both video and voice calling as well as texting as the reason for their feelings of closeness. Social media also provides a first look into a potential partner’s interests and values without even going out on a single date.
But one lovely evening with an even lovelier couple yielded inspiration and insight into a successful marriage, proving that you don’t need to “swipe right” to find the right person.
Take it from Bill and Lura Ann Cree of Carmichaels, who just rang in the New Year with their 62nd anniversary on December 31, 2025.
Lura Ann was working her way through Waynesburg College’s Elementary Education program when she first met Bill Cree, a frequent flier at the Hartley Inn restaurant in their hometown. “I started working there in 1960, so I was 17. Bill ran with about 20 farm guys who would come into the restaurant. It took a while for him to notice me, though,” Lura Ann jokingly remembers.
Bill tells his side of the story next: “When I first saw her, I really liked her walk.”
“I didn’t know that! I thought it was my piano playing,” Lura Ann exclaims.
“Well, that was number two…you had to walk over before I heard you tinkling the ivories,” he says with a grin and a look that spans decades of love and devotion to his wife.
The couple’s first official date was spent at a horse race in Waynesburg. The second was a visit to Bill’s Grandfather Riley’s home, where Lura Ann first graced Bill’s ears with her command of Aunt Bernice’s piano. That same instrument now sits in the couple’s living room, where it is joyfully played each day and fondly enjoyed by both.
Bill has built a life farming over 700 acres of Cree land in Greene County, while Lura Ann forged a lifelong teaching career at East Ward and Carmichaels Area Elementary Schools. Upon moving into her classroom at Carmichaels, Lura Ann recalls that she, “couldn’t teach Kindergarten without a piano,” and that one was promptly moved in.
“There’s lots of challenges on a dairy farm and teaching,” Bill says, but reassures us that there is much more to be enjoyed. “We make each other laugh,” he says.
Lura Ann imparts some more wisdom: “We just keep loving each other and remember the good times.”
“She’s required to play the piano quite often,” Bill teases as another recipe for success. “You can forget that part if you want,” he whispers to Lura Ann.
The two never go to bed angry, and Lura Ann says one song, in particular, rings true as their shared life’s motto: “One day at a time, sweet Jesus.”
That’s exactly how Bill and Lura Ann will dance into tomorrow. And hopefully for the rest of us, we will too.
