Winter Garden Magazine February 2016 - Daniel & Mindy Hungerford | Page 13

HISTORY’S MYSTERIES
A Romance For The Ages

I

n 1923, at the age of 10, Mae Jones relocated with her family to Winter Garden from Hartwell, Georgia. Mae was a classic graceful beauty, throughout her life she favored, and
was compared to (and often mistaken for) Queen Elizabeth II.

One evening in 1928, Mae went to see a film with her sister and brother-in-law, Arlie and
Lewis Foxworth, at the Garden Theatre. She was wearing a yellow flapper-style dress which
she had made, that draped on her frame in a lovely manner.
Lewis’ friend and barber, Dock Reeves, had moved to the Winter Garden area in the early
1920’s from Hartford, Alabama. Dock had the suave and debonair look of a matinee-idol
with dark wavy hair and chiseled features. By chance, he happened to attend the same
showing that evening, looking charming as ever in a crisp white
linen suit.
The two parties ran into each other outside the theatre. When
Dock saw Mae, it was love at first sight. Dock began flirting outrageously with her, vying for her attention. Mae, being the young and
very coy Southern Belle that she was, acted as if she didn’t even
know he was there.
Later that year, and after much persuasion, Dock and Mae began a
courtship which lasted for ten years. During that time, they would
return during the summers to their respective hometowns, to visit
with their families and friends. Mae had a beau she would visit in
Hartwell, and Dock had the eye of an airline stewardess in Hartford. One summer, Mae learned of Dock’s intentions to marry the airline stewardess and
became bereft. Upon both of their returns to Winter Garden, Mae approached Dock about
the situation…they agreed to stop seeing their other paramours, and became engaged to
be married.
Dock and Mae Reeves were married in January of 1938 in the Parsonage at the Oakland
Presbyterian Church. Theirs was a romantic love that lasted throughout the years, always
kind and caring for one another. Dock passed away in 1984 and Mae followed him in 2007.
During her lengthy widowhood, gentlemen often would ask her out
– after all, she had maintained her genteel Southern Belle looks
and charm over the years. Mae refused her suitors and remained
committed to Dock, politely explaining she already had a husband;
and although he was dead she would never stop being in love him.
A true romance of the ages.
Now step back to the magical moment of their meeting at the Garden Theatre when Mae was wearing the yellow dress. The Theatre
itself had closed back in 1963 and was used as storage for many
years. In the 2000’s, the theatre was restored and then reopened
in 2008. At the night of the Grand Opening Gala, as guests entered
the beautifully renovated room, a spotlight lit one item on an otherwise bare stage – the actual yellow dress which Mae had worn that
fateful evening back in 1928. The Garden Theatre teaches its staff and volunteers to provide magical “yellow dress m