Heirloom ring seals Christmas proposal

When Cory Mitchell asked Morgan Quattlebaum what she wanted for Christmas, she never expected to receive his grandmother’s engagement ring.

“This ring means the world to us because this is a part of ‘family’ that is always with us,” is what Quattlebaum said as she recounted the story surrounding the Christmas Eve gift she received while surrounded by family.

The story began for the combat-tested veteran Marine from Montgomery and the Enterprise native with a chance meeting at A Best Pools in Enterprise in May last year.

After receiving her post-graduate degree from Auburn University, Quattlebaum returned home to Enterprise and was looking for a summer job to pass the time until her “official” job with the Ozark City Schools began in August.

“God led me to come back home, which was totally not my plan,” she said with a smile. “But God has a sense of humor and shows me that my plan is not always right.”

Quattlebaum went to A Best Pools in Enterprise, where she had worked her first year of college. “I walked into the store to talk to Jim and Kelley Reeves about the job and Cory, who worked at A-Best, was in the store—which he never is in the summer unless it’s for a short time just to pick-up something.”

Kelley Reeves introduced the two. “When I walked out that day Cory asked Kelley about me and once I began working there, after about two weeks, Cory asked me on a date,” Quattlebaum said. “Before we ever began dating, Cory asked his bosses if he could date me, out of respect, since we worked together at the time. That showed me right there the respect he has for others.”

Quattlebaum is the daughter of Jeanna and Russell Quattlebaum and the granddaughter of Rosa and the late Howard Quattlebaum, all of Enterprise, and Jean and the late Jake Mann, from Dothan.

Mitchell is the son of Judy Powers of Enterprise and Dale and Kathy Mitchell of Montgomery. He is the grandson of Olivia and the late John Mitchell of Oklahoma and the late Barbara and Robert Powers.

“The first time my mom ever met Cory—before we really even knew each other or went out on a date—he was putting in my parents’ pool liner at their home,” Quattlebaum explained. “Mom came back in the house and told my dad that I was going to marry that guy.”

Mitchell and Quattlebaum will be married June 30 at First Baptist Church Enterprise. “I was raised attending First Baptist Church and this is where we both have attended church since we began dating,” Quattlebaum said. “We feel as if it is our home church in Enterprise and could not think of a better place to be united in marriage and begin this journey with Christ at the center point.”

The wedding reception will be held at the Enterprise home of Tim Whitehead. “When I was growing up, I stayed with the Whitehead family while my parents were at work during the day,” Quattlebaum said. “They are my Pee-Paw, Mee-Maw, Sissy and Bubbie.

“They are part of the family even if not blood related. I spent a lot of time at this house growing-up and I have always said that if I ever got married this is where I wanted my reception venue,” Quattlebaum said. “Now this vision of mine is coming to life.”

Mitchell asked Quattlebaum to marry him after the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at First Baptist Church in December 2017.

Following the church service, the family gathered at Quattlebaum’s parents home for family photos. “Because that’s all my grandmother wanted for Christmas—or so I was told,” Quattlebaum said with a smile.

After a few family photos were taken, Mitchell asked Quattlebaum if she would pose with him for a photo in front of a tall wooden cross covered in tiny white lights that adorned the home’s front lawn. Quattlebaum said she turned to see Mitchell pull a diamond ring from his pocket as he knelt on one knee. “He was sweating and it should be noted that it was cold outside that night,” Quattlebaum recalled with a smile. “He asked me to marry him and after I said ‘Yes, of course,’ he said, ‘Well I had this whole speech planned but all that came out was ‘Will you marry me?’

“I was very shocked at how beautiful the ring was. I later found out that the diamond was from his grandmother’s engagement ring,” Quattlebaum said. “After Cory’s grandmother passed away a year ago, Ms. Judy (Mitchell’s mother) had her mother’s ring re-set into more of a dinner ring.

“When Cory told his mother that he was going to ask to marry me, Ms. Judy pulled out her mother’s ring and said that his grandmother would want him to use this stone,” Quattlebaum explained.

“There are so many aspects that come to loving Cory that it’s hard to pick which moment I knew he was ‘the one,’” Quattlebaum said. “Cory is such a Godly man. He never questioned going to church with me the second week after dating or spending countless hours with my family.

“He was a trooper with all the family dinners and constant things going on, such as going to watch a high-school football game my brother played in or going to an Auburn game—even though he is an Alabama fan,” Quattlebaum said. “We’re still trying to fix that,” the staunch AU supporter added.

“Cory was, and continues to, be kind, caring and gentle,” Quattlebaum said. “The first time he cooked dinner for me, we talked about a devotion he was doing and his Bible was lying on the coffee table.

“I truly believe this union between us is a complete ‘God thing.’ I was not looking for anyone when I met Cory but God had another plan,” Quattlebaum said. “Things are not always perfect—we are both very stubborn and like things the way we like them—but we continue to learn and grow through these experiences. We do not always see eye-to-eye but I couldn’t imagine my life with anyone else.

Quattlebaum said that when he introduced her to his grandmother, she realized how special Cory was. “He has never introduced a girl to his grandmother. The respect and love I saw that he had for her and knowing that he thought and cared enough about me to be the only one to meet her began the ‘knowing-he’s-the-one’ process. I thank God each day for Cory and for Him placing him into my life.

“I could not imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else,” Quattlebaum said. “Cory is reserved and does not like sharing his life but when he does, you know he means it.”

Mitchell is the first one to agree that he is reserved. “Ever since I joined the Marines, it’s been hard for me to express my emotions,” he said. “Morgan gives me the courage and confidence to do just that.

“I knew I loved her and couldn’t live without her,” is the way Mitchell described how he knew Quattlebaum was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. “Over the years, God has taught me that love isn’t always a feeling, it’s also a choice.

“I chose to love Morgan, not only because she’s absolutely the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” Mitchell explained. “I choose to love Morgan because she’s fearless, because she’s the smartest person I’ve ever met, because she’s caring and sympathetic to others, because she has taken time to try to understand me and who I am and most of all because she loves God.

“We don’t always get along, but with God as our foundation, we always choose to forgive each other and love each other no matter what,” Mitchell said, adding that he knew Quattlebaum was “the one” after their first argument. “Even though I didn’t like her at the time I knew I loved her and couldn’t live without her.”