Darryl Anderson and Melinda (Anneken) Groves
Jan 28, 2022
Ours is one of the truly great Murray State Racers love stories! We met as sophomores while at MSU. We were at summer orientation and training for new Residence Advisers in 1987. While walking with a group of other new RAs over to Elizabeth College (we just called it Elizabeth Hall back then), I saw her standing with a group of the girl RAs out in the summer sun. I thought she was tall, confident, absolutely breath-taking and radiant (she now claims she was just sweaty that day), but I knew I had to meet her. She had big blue beautiful eyes and really big bright blonde hair and a smile that could make a guy forget to breathe! After some prerequisite chit chat, I couldn't wait any longer. I asked, "So when can I take you out?" Without missing a beat, she replied, "So when are you ever gonna ASK me out?" Right away I knew there was something special about her/about us that was meant to be. We continued our RA training where she and I (already smitten with each other) were touring through one of the men's residence halls with about 10 other new RAs. The Hall Director warned us about managing horseplay through the hallways and in the rooms. "No running in the halls or jumping on beds! Students could get hurt." he told us. As soon as he stepped away, I ran from the hall and jumped onto one of the beds. Mindy immediately climbed onto the sink in the room and jumped onto the bed beside me. We were both the class clowns and destined to complement the other! Needless to say we had found each other that day, but obviously lost those jobs pretty quickly soon after! We couldn't seem to obey the curfew rules (we had those) in the residence halls.
We were ALWAYS together. I had started school at Murray as a Music Education Major while she was an Accounting major. Neither was a good fit for us, so we ended up taking the same major: Television Broadcasting/Communications. Because our last names we Anneken and Anderson, we even got to sit next to each other at graduation. It seemed everything about us was fateful. However as recently as the late 1980s and early 1990s, bi-racial couples like us got a lot of stares and disapproving 2nd looks. We didn't care as we only saw each other and knew we were in love. We were like peas and carrots! I had proposed and we moved to Clarksville, TN after graduation and lived together for about a year. She was ready to get married and really start our lives together. But I was young and stupid and didn't think I was ready. We went our separate ways in 1990. I knew immediately I had made a terrible mistake.
She moved out and I didn't see or talk to her for almost 20 years. I would never love again with my whole heart. Through Facebook (around 2009) we got a chance to connect again and see photos of each others families. We had both gotten married and raising our respective families. And then, as soon as we started, we just stopped talking again. in 2016 I learned that her husband had passed away the year before and I was finalizing my divorce. We met again through Facebook and several months later arranged to meet. We planned to spend a day at the Nashville Zoo where we would fall in love all over again. We were like peas and carrots again! We have stayed together ever since. We occasionally go to Murray State games and events/concerts. We are always blue and gold Racers forever.. We live in Clarksville, TN now. I proposed again and we will be married in September 2020. I knew in my heart that I never stopped loving her. After only 30 years I am finally marrying the prettiest girl who ever let me hold her hand and the girl I have loved since I was 19 years old. I will always thank Murray State University for that.