Ralph and Ella have reasoned that they must have made a pact in heaven before they were born, that they were going to meet on earth. In fact, Ralph describes their first meeting as “a rendezvous.” Ralph was born first in Safford, Arizona, and Ella was born 28 days later on the other side of the world in Aberdeen, Scotland. Ralph surmises:
“All you kids, our kids and grandkids on the other side, said, ‘Oh no! How are we going to get these guys together!’ There are a lot of things that a lot of people think, ‘Oh it’s just coincidence,’ but we think there was a special purpose, and we have a wonderful family that proves that.”
That “rendezvous” took place in September of 1949, at the opening social of seminary on the outdoor basketball court of the aptly named Rendezvous Park in Mesa, Arizona. Ralph remembers:
“I was just leaning against the fence and just watching. I didn't consider myself a dancer, and there was no one there I wanted to dance with anyway, so I was just leaning against the fence and brother [Max] Cox [the seminary principal and also the MC that evening] grabbed my hand and he said, ‘I want you to meet this little Scottish lassie who just got here from Scotland. Her name is Ella Mae Findlay.’(1) He brought me kicking and screaming across the court, between songs.
"I got within 10 feet of Ella and my focus went all skewed, I couldn't focus. I’d look at her, and I didn't know if my eyes were tearing up or what! She was sitting there smiling, laughing with her friends, and he said, ‘Hey this is Ralph Mitchell.’ She looked at me and said, ‘Oh, hi,’ then she went on visiting with her friends. But I was smitten. I could not get my eyes off of her. And literally, I was shaky! and I couldn't speak! I said to myself, ‘What’s going on here? Why am I feeling this way?’”
They were 15 years old, attending Mesa High School. Ralph was a sophomore, and Ella a junior (2).
At that time, Ralph hadn’t decided whether he was going back to school; he was considering dropping out so he could work. But he stayed in school after all.
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| (Image Source: Item for sale on eBay) |
So when did Ella start paying attention to him? It was the summer of 1951, almost 2 years later. Ella had already graduated from Mesa High School and Ralph was soon to begin his senior year when they had another fateful rendezvous that would be a turning point in their relationship.
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One summer evening, Ralph and his friends had planned a double date to the Mesa Theater, one of two movie theaters in town. They were looking forward to a typical evening at the theater: double feature, previews, newsreel, cartoons, and an intermission, all adding up to about 4 ½ hours.
“A friend of mine and I, named Richard [Dick Lambert], we set up a double date. I was going to drive my car, the red mercury. I had been dating a girl pretty steady my sophomore and junior year, but we had just broken up...we went to the movie and I told Richard that I don’t have a date (I didn’t look real hard)...so I’ll be your chauffeur.
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| 1946 Mercury Club Coupe, very similar to the one Ralph owned at the time he and Ella went on their first date, "Only mine didn't have quite that much chrome!!" (Image Source) |
“They climbed in the back of this Mercury Club Coupe and we drove to the theater. We walked into the theater and the only seats available was about three or four rows from the front. The theaters were full at that time. So we filed into the row and I got the feeling - I didn’t even look around - but I got that same burning feeling. I couldn’t focus on the screen, I couldn’t talk! I was sitting there, and when my eyes got accustomed to the dark, there was Ella, sitting right in front of me. She was there with two of her girlfriends, so I sat there and squirmed in my seat. There was a seat right next to her that was vacant, and I kept waiting to see if a boy came in and sat down next to her. And low and behold, no, nobody came in. It was just her and her two friends that were sitting there at the movie.
“The lights go up, intermission came, and I said, ‘Whoa! Look who’s here!’ And Ella said, ‘Oh hi,’ like it was no big deal. So after a couple seconds I said, ‘Why don’t you come back here and sit with me?’ because I had a seat next to me that was vacant. She looked around and saw her friend [Richard’s date], which was a girl who graduated with her too...and she knew both of those people...and she said, ‘No, I’m here with my friends. Why don’t you come sit up here with me?’ Boy, I didn’t let my shirttail touch my back once! I ran around that aisle and jumped in the seat next to her!
"I didn’t try any funny business. I just sat there and watched the movie with her. But about halfway through the last movie, I said, ‘Would you like to ride home with us?’ She said, ‘No, I’m with my friends.’ I didn’t push it, but some time during the last movie she talked to her friends then turned over to me and said ‘Ok, I’ll ride home with you guys.’ So she became my date. I jokingly say that she was a pick up at the theater!”
There was a favorite hangout in Mesa at that time called the Snack Shack, a drive-in restaurant that was THE big place to go. The patrons would pull in, stay in the car, flash their lights, and the
waitress would come out, put a tray on the side of the car. Following the movie, the four of them - Ralph and Ella, Richard and his date - went to the Snack Shack for an evening meal. Afterward, Ralph took Richard and his date home first, then Ella. They talked and got better acquainted, and they decided to meet again the next week.
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That was their first date. And there was a second date, and a third, and more. Pretty soon, after saying some prayers on the matter, they decided they wanted to spend their lives together. On March 5, 1953, they would finally be married, in the Mesa, Arizona LDS temple.
Another retelling of their first meeting and first date stories - Ralph and Ella's expressions are entertaining and oh-so-endearing! Filmed 9 February 2014
Notes:
- Sounds so southern! That’s just a name that Brother Cox made up. :D
- Upon arriving in the United States and meeting with the school principal, Ella and her mother learned that she had already completed all of the requirements to graduate from high school in the US. She had already taken classes in Latin, French, algebra, geometry, etc; she was only missing American History and American Problems. She could have entered Mesa High School as a senior, but considering she was just 15, they decided it would be best to stay closer to her age group, which put her a year ahead of Ralph.
Sources:
- Quotes taken from a phone conversation recorded 13 January 2015
- Video of Ralph and Ella filmed on 9 February 2014
Would love to add photos of:
- High school year book photos
- Drive in restaurant - Snack Shack
- Rendezvous Park
