Velma was the third child of 14. She has seven brothers and five sisters living.
Shortly after graduation, Velma married Robert Campbell of Foley, and they moved to Cleveland, OH for a year or so. They returned to Magnolia Springs for a year or two, and she worked at Vanity Fair. They then moved to Detroit, MI where his family lived. Robert worked with General Motors and Velma worked with A&P.
They moved back to Robertsdale in 1970 and bought a Seafood Market. They were divorced in 1976.
Velma met Billy Thames and they were married Sept 18, 1978.
Billy graduated from Robertsdale in 1949, and was in the Marines 1950-54 and served in Korea. He worked with Greyhound in Pensacola, then drove a bus in Washington, DC until 1972 when he was disabled from driving a bus. When he returned to Baldwin, he drove a gas truck for Paul Schultz (Chevron) for a while. He then had a plumbing business from 1985 until 1993.
Velma worked with Farm Fresh Meats in Robetsdale from November 1976 until 1995, then five and a half years at Rohr (now Goddrich) Aircraft. She worked with inventory and as dispatcher.
They both enjoy fishing. They previously enjoyed dove hunting until they got a bird feeder, and are now bird watchers.
They have no schedules and no pressures. They go and do what they want, and just enjoy life.
Velma�s only medical problem has been a recent bout of shingles, but she is getting over them.
Velma has no children of her own. When they married, Billy�s four children were grown. There are ten grandchildren and two great grandchildren.