The Couple chose Montana

This article was of interest due to my being a Humanist Minister. I have sent the article to the American Humanists.
Its interesting how each state has different laws concerning Marriage. I forsee a future where this will be taken to the Supreme Court and turned into federal law. Since people are moving around so much and people marry in different states.... The gay marriage issue is fought state by state. They need to change the law were each state is required to accept all ceremonies no matter where they got married and to whom and (who performed the ceremony)

The Feds did the same thing with commerce why not this. The right to vote .....many other examples.

States rights? Still relevant in a shrinking world?


United a world apart
By ALANA LISTOE - Independent Record - 01/17/08

George Lane IR staff photographer - The media talks with Spc. Barbara Hines and Sgt. Ryan Thompson, who are on cell phones, before the start of their proxy wedding. Spc. Hines is stationed in Afghanistan and Sgt. Thompson is stationed in Qatar. Major Garth Scott is holding the cell phones.
Spc. Barbara Hines wasn’t wearing a dress for her wedding late Wednesday morning.

There were no fresh flowers, no bridesmaids, and the only guests were military personnel and members of the media.

Hines, of Dothan, Ala., married Sgt. Ryan Thompson, of Riverview, Fla., by double-proxy at the Canyon Ferry Mansion near Townsend.

There were no members of the couple’s family in attendance as neither have any Montana connections. The couple attended via cell phone in a short service, organized by mansion owner Sandy Rose and presided over by Montana National Guard Chaplain Ken DuVall.

Hines and Thompson are deployed active duty soldiers and hope their official union will allow them to become stationed in the same area through the Army’s Married Couples Program. Hines, 29, is stationed in Afghanistan and Thompson, 25, in Qatar.

“It’s something I’ll always remember,” Hines said via speaker phone.

The proxy stand-ins were Sgt. 1st Class Michael Anderson and Capt. Tracy Anderson of Helena. The Andersons have never met the couple and, until Wednesday, didn’t even know their names.

The Andersons have been married for 14 years, and both have been in the military the entire time.

“It was a nice way to honor a couple serving our country that wants to be together,” Tracy said. “We are here standing in for them, and if this helps get them together, it will make it more special.”

Tracy said holding hands with her husband saying vows brought back the memories of their wedding day at the Cathedral of St. Helena so many years ago.

The couple chose Montana because it is the only state that allows this type of ceremony.

Thompson said he found out about the Montana law and the Canyon Ferry Mansion through Google.

This is the second time around for the couple as they were married once before.

After years of talking, they worked to reconcile their relationship. The couple has a 5-year-old son, Daniel, who is living in Alabama with Hines’ sister. They don’t expect to see each other until May and are hoping to be stationed together in Germany by February of next year.

“I love you,” Thompson told his bride over the phone outside the church. “This is for real, it’s not a joke, it’s for keeps. I love you, Mrs. Thompson.”

“I love you, Mr. Thompson,” Hines said.

This is the first time the Montana National Guard has been involved in a double-proxy marriage, said Maj. Garth Scott, public relations officer.

“It’s quite an opportunity for our chaplain and the Guard to show this kind of support for our active duty brothers and sisters,” Scott said.

DuVall said the ceremony was the most difficult he’s ever performed. He organized the service through e-mails with the couple.

He suggested the couple keep “three C’s” in mind for a successful marriage: communication, commitment and church.

Communication, he said during the service, is something couples can’t do enough of; and because men and women are different, they need to talk, talk and talk.

Commitment ensures that the couple never gives up, he said, and church nourishes their spirituality.

Thompson credits Rose for making the event come to fruition.

“She ran with it,” he said. “She deserves all the credit. It wouldn’t have happened without her.”

Rose was tickled to get the call just a week ago from Thompson asking for her assistance.

“It’s the best thing to happen since they put a man on the moon the day my son was born,” she said.

Reporter Alana Listoe: 447-4081 or alana.listoe@helenair.com