Deanna Fletcher / Joe
Manbeck
DEANNA & JOE'S
LOVE STORY
(Special note: - Deanna & Joe wrote their love
story with both reading the story to each other
and to their guests)
CLICK HERE
- To watch the video of Joe & Deanna's love
story on our Facebook page
Joe: In the summer of 2009, before we met one
another, Deanna and I were both looking for jobs. I
had just graduated college and Deanna had just
finished her first term with AmeriCorps. Separately,
we both decided to join an AmeriCorps program with
Habitat for Humanity, Deanna in Dover, Delaware, and
me in Spokane, Washington. As part of the volunteer
program, we were expected to attend a national
conference in Talladega, Alabama where we learned
more about Habitat and how to better perform our
jobs. There was also time for having fun and playing
games at this conference, and this is how we ended
up meeting.
Deanna:
The first evening of the conference, Joe and I were
separately looking for something to do during the
free time. I and that group of girls from
Connecticut over there (wave your hands!) wanted to
play foursquare but didn't know how. A larger group
formed and still, no one knew the rules. And in
walked Joe. After he taught us all how to play, we
started calling him "coach" and continued playing
into the evening. I ran into "coach" a few times
over the next 5 days of the conference and then we
each returned to our respective coasts, him to
Spokane and me to Dover.
Joe: From there Deanna and I went our separate
ways and never saw each other again�no, obviously
not. Fortunately for us, Habitat required attendance
at another conference that term, this time in Cedar
Rapids, Iowa the following June. On the first day of
this conference, the girls from CT and Deanna
thought they recognized "coach" eating lunch in the
cafeteria and after debating whether or not it was
me, approached and said hi. This is when I began
pursuing Deanna.
Deanna:
It was more like stalking�He looked for me in the
cafeteria during meals and looked for me in the
evening during free time, found me on the bus to
ride to our site together. I tried to lose him a
couple of times, but thankfully I had no such luck.
We ran around their track, played a made up pool
game, watched a little league game, and jogged
around the campus together. I wasn't so sure about
him yet, but he knew he liked me. We returned again
back to our own Habitat affiliates, but this time we
talked about getting together in the summer when we
both were back in PA.
Joe: I flew back from Spokane in July 2010 and was
planning on calling Deanna to see if she really did
want to get together to hang out.
Deanna:
But I beat him to the punch. I ended up driving up
from Dover, picking him up at Dan�s apartment in
Bethlehem and we continued on to Hershey Park for
our first date, although we wouldn�t have called
it that at the time. We enjoyed a day on the rides
and the water park and then drove up to Joe's
parents in Lewisburg. We went to help out at the
buggy museum and I started to meet his wonderful
family. I think I won over Grandpa that day.
Joe:
After the buggy museum, Deanna continued on to her
parent�s house. I wasn�t sure if we were going
to see each other again. I really liked her, but I
wasn�t sure if she felt the same way. I wanted to
give her a hug as she was leaving, but she just got
in the car and drove off�I thought that was it.
Deanna: OK, your dad was standing right there. I
wanted to hug you too, but it just felt weird.
Joe: Anyway, we talked and texted over the next
few weeks and to my surprise, she wanted me to come
out to visit her in Clymer. I drove out and we hung
out by the pool, and went to a Pirates game
together. On the way back to her parents from
Pittsburgh, I told her how I felt and she agreed. We
made our relationship official then and there. Had I
known we were getting together I wouldn�t have
signed up for a second AmeriCorps term in Spokane,
but there was nothing I could do about it at this
point. So I flew out to Washington a couple weeks
later for another 10 � month term.
Deanna:
And we started a long distance relationship. I flew
out in November and he took me hiking and off
roading. He flew back in December and we got
together over Christmas break. We both flew to Vegas
in February and hiked in Red Rock canyon and took
the Hoover Dam tour.
In May I
flew out to Washington and we hiked at Steamboat
Rock State Park. It was hard being apart, but we got
to know each other through talking on the phone and
Skyping. It was difficult, but I think we got to
know each other in a way that we couldn�t have
done if we lived closer to each other.
Joe:
In July of 2011, I finished my term and drove back
from Spokane. Dan flew out and drove back with me
and my dog. I ended up taking another AmeriCorps
position with the Habitat affiliate Deanna was with
when we met. Now that I was on the east coast, I
still wanted to live closer to her.
That fall
I proposed while on a hike at Killens Pond State
Park in Delaware. I got down on one knee, and she
said, �What are you doing?!� I told her how much
I loved her and how I wanted to spend the rest of my
life with her
Deanna:
and I said yes which is why we're here today.
Joe:
...and we're happy that you all could join us
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