Emily Kate

Emily was born October 17, 1974 in Lake Charles, LA; the only child of Wayland and Pat Holloway. She's moved all over the country and has lived in such states as Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, California, Minnesota, Wisconsin and most recently, Massachusetts. She graduated from Stillwater (MN) High School in 1992 and attended Inver Hills Community College for 2 years. In 1995, she transferred to the University of Wisconsin, River Falls (WI) and majored in journalism and minored in French. She graduated from college in 1997 and immediately started working for the Stillwater (MN) Gazette. She is currently employed at Cingular Wireless in Bloomington.  When not at work, does what she can to help others out with Epidermolysis Bullosa...

 

George Christopher

George was born December 8, 1980 in Roswell, NM; only child of Sherry Lockley and Rick Spurrier. Following his parents' divorce, George moved to South Dakota and then to Minnesota, where his mother, and her husband Fred Lockley lived until March, 2002.  They are currently living in New Mexico again, however are contemplating moving back to Minnesota in the near future. He graduated from John F. Kennedy High School, Babbitt, MN in 1999 and then attended the University of Minnesota - Duluth until he moved down to the Twin Cities area in May, 2000. Since moving to the Twin Cities, he has worked at Wal*Mart Co. in Eden Prairie, MN.  He currently works full-time at the new Gander Mountain in Lakeville. 

Our Story...

We met at a chat room party on February 26, 2000 at Players in the Mall of America and became quick friends. Soon after, George would come down to the Cities from Duluth an average of every other weekend to just hang out with me and my then-roommate, Becky. There was no 'official first date', however, we like to mark it as April 15, 2000 when George and I had planned on going hiking all day, however, due to inclement weather, we chose to go to Cabela's in Owatonna, MN instead. Even back then, we had talked about marriage, but more in a jocular manner since George was 'too young'. That same month, I decided to move back home with my parents in Southwick, Massachusetts temporarily. During those months in Massachusetts, we continued to talk daily, keeping up the relationship that had surprisingly developed in the weeks before I moved east.. in that time, it had strengthened considerably. On August 24, 2000, I flew back to MN for a week to visit friends and also put the friendship between myself and George to the test. Things worked out much better than planned!! On October 12, 2000, I was offered a position back at the corporate office of Best Buy and on October 30, 2000 I moved back to Minnesota. We moved in together on November 7, 2000 and I proposed on December 26 of the same year.

After a year and a half of planning, personal tests and many events ~ both good and bad ~ that we went through together, we were married on May 11, 2002. The date was chosen for several reasons. For 3 years, that date had marked a ‘bad’ day for myself.. including the date I had left Minnesota to move across the country. It had also marked, however, the exact same day (and year) that George had moved in with Becky to take my place at the apartment. What had been traditionally a sad day needed to become one of joy.

Unfortunately, however, both George and myself lost our paternal grandparents the week of our wedding. George’s grandfather died just hours after we were married.. on May 11, 2002. My grandfather passed on May 19, 2002. We know they’re both watching over us as we build our home together near Minneapolis, MN.

In June, 2003, we learned that we were expecting our first child.  We had decided to name the baby either Joseph Keith (after Emily's grandfather and her father) or Kathryn Cecile (K.C.) after Emily's middle name (Kate), Emily's maternal grandmother (Cecile Melba) and after George, who is known as "G.C." by his father's side of the family.  On September 26, 2003, we learned that we were indeed having a girl. Kathryn Cecile Spurrier was born February 12, 2004 at 12:52 p.m.