I am going to start at the beginning as some of you don’t know me and our story of being friends. My name is Pat Alverson and I was born 8 months before Susan. Our families both attended Loyd Presbyterian Church so we don’t remember not knowing each other. We have always been friends but when I was 9 my family and I moved from town (LaGrange) to the country to live with my grandmother on Old West Point Road. Susan and her family were our next door neighbors – even though our houses were 2 tenths (or so) of a mile apart. Being best friends forever started at some point and has continued over 60 plus years.
Now we were able to be together more than just Sunday’s and other occasional visits which made our friendship grow. At one point we decided that when we grew up we would live between the houses so we could be together for always. In those days it was safe to go back and forth to each other’s house by walking or riding our bikes which we did frequently.
That next school year (4thgrade) I changed from Harwell Avenue School to Unity School where Susan was already attending. Momma took us to school every morning and either my grandmother, Susan’s mother or one of their employees, Aaron, would pick us up unless we stayed in town for piano or dance lessons. I could write a book on things we did in the late 60’s and early 70’s but that would take a lifetime. It was a wonderful time for the two of us.
At the beginning our 8thgrade year I changed school systems and went to the county high school and Susan went to the city high school. Being at different schools made no difference in our friendship. We still hung out together, had sleepovers and even took trips with each other’s families. After high school I attended Troy University in Troy, Alabama and Susan attended Berry College in Rome, Georgia. Even with our crazy schedules we always managed to see each other when we were at home the same weekends.
I didn’t graduate from Troy until March 1979 due to changing majors halfway through college. I came back to LaGrange and lived with my parents. I was in no hurry to look for a job and the closer it got to Susan’s wedding I thought I wouldn’t look too hard until after she got married so I could participate fully in all the pre-wedding activities.
It was on Friday night, April 6 that I was at home when I got a phone call from Nancy asking if I had talked to Susan lately. When I told her no she explained that Susan was missing. My brother Ed and his wife Debbie just happened to be at the house so Ed and I went back to the Bakers. Events happened quickly at that point and it didn’t take long and Ed and I were headed to Augusta with Susan’s parents and her brother Terry. I remember just sitting in the back seat with Mrs. Baker and we just hung on to each other. I can’t even remember what car I was in. It was a surreal ride and as you can imagine a fast ride. At some point we got pulled over by the State Patrol for speeding and Ed got out and talked to them. I should mention that he was a member of the State Patrol which definitely helped.
We arrived late that night and after hugging each other and learning what little information there was I remember just wandering around from group to group not really knowing what to do. The entire night just crawled by. In looking back there was a bright spot because this was the night that I got to know Mike and his family and more importantly the strong faith that they had. There was a lot of praying going on and we just hung on to each other. I did speak to the police at some point and they asked me if I thought Susan would just disappear due to wedding jitters. NO! That was my answer and I never had any doubt it was the only answer.
Saturday for me was more of the same wandering around wondering what to do. Along with everyone else I had stayed up all night but just couldn’t imagine trying to sleep not knowing what was happening. I am not even sure if we ate.
And then it happened, the phone rang and all I heard was “Susan”! She had been found in Florida. If I remember correctly her dad, Mike, Terry and one of her cousins chartered a plane and flew down and brought her back to us. We all went to the airport to welcome her home, tearfully, joyfully and praising God for her safe return. Eventually Ed and I made our way back to LaGrange but I don’t remember much about that trip either.
I will leave it to Susan to fill in the blanks from the time we got the phone call and all that transpired to her. I can only add that soon another Saturday rolled around, May 6, and I got to be in the wedding of my forever best friend. God is good.
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