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BREWERTON, N.Y. — It's a tale as old as time, familiar to many: boy meets girl, they fall in love, boy goes off to war, girl finds new love and sends the dreaded ‘Dear John' letter to crush poor boy's heart. That's usually where the story ends, but this case, reported by Syracuse.com, has a surprisingly sweet twist.
Almost 60 years ago, Ernie Jeneault thought he had found the girl he was going to marry, Joan Ladouceur. Jeneault planned a trip to Carbino's Jewelers in Ogdensburg, N.Y. to pick out a ring.
Unfortunately, he had just enlisted in the Army and was called to basic training to prepare to fight in the Koraean War. He almost asked his Ladouceur to marry him, but something held him back at the last minute.
"I was going to go to Carbino's in Ogdensburg and buy a ring, but I decided not to propose," Jeneault, 83, told Syracuse.com. "I didn't want to make her wait for me."
But Jeneault never admitted his love to Ladouceur. While they sent regular letters to each other when he left in January 1953, Ladouceur ended the relationship four months later.
I met someone else. I don't remember what the letter said exactly, but I told him I met someone.
–Joan Ladouceur Todd
"I met someone else," Ladouceur, 79, said. "I don't remember what the letter said exactly, but I told (Jeneault) I met someone."
Jeneault was crushed, but he never told Ladouceur how the letter had hurt him.
"I told her that I was seeing someone else too," he said. "I lied."
After the ‘Dear John' letter went out, they went on with their separate lives. Ladouceour was married in 1954 to Lawrence Todd , the man who stole her heart while Jeneault was in the Army. They had six children and were married up until Todd passed away in 2010.
Jeneault married Rosemarie Brunet in 1956 and they had nine children. After Rosmarie died in 1983, he remarried Carolyn Stevenson in 1984, who passed away in 2011.
Their parallel lives crossed paths several times over the last 60 years in St. Lawrence County in New York. They never reconnected until last summer, Jeneault saw Joan, now Todd, and asked her out on a date.
But Todd wasn't ready to be in a relationship so soon after her late husband's passing. Jeneault replied that he felt the same way and just wanted a friend.
I don't know what her answer would have been back then. But she said yes this time.
–Ernie Jeneault
"I just wanted someone to go out and eat with," Jeneault said.
But the rekindled friendship quickly turned into real dates and planned vacations. Jeneault finally made a trip to Carbino's Jewelers in December 2012.
"I don't know what her answer would have been back then," Jeneault said. "But she said yes this time."
The couple plan to marry this Saturday in Gouverneur, N.Y. Their combined family will include 15 children, 32 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren and most of them are able to be there.
Jeneault remembers fondly of their time together in 1953.
"It was so long ago, that I don't remember much," Todd said. "But I remembered we loved to dance."
The couple's dates included hours of dancing the jitterbug when they were younger. They plan to dance the jitterbug again this weekend at their wedding.
"True love? Yes, we believe it," Jeneault said.
