PELHAM, Ga. (WALB) — Maretta Ross and Fred Ross were teenagers from rival South Georgia high schools when they shared a homecoming dance, a memory that would come back around decades later.

Maretta Ross said they dated briefly as teens, spending time at church picnics, visiting her grandmother’s house and going to homecoming.

Then, they broke up, and life moved on.

Maretta Ross moved away, married young and stayed married for 30 years. She and Fred Ross both built separate lives and had children.

After her divorce, Maretta Ross said she felt lost and unsure what the next chapter of her life was supposed to look like.

But Fred Ross, who is from Camilla, said he never forgot her.

Nearly 40 years after they lost touch, Maretta Ross said her old flame found her on Facebook and reached out.

Before she shared her phone number, she said she contacted someone who knew him well: his longtime friend, Todd West.

“I reached out to Todd, and I said, ‘Should I give him my number? What is he like now? I don’t know him anymore,’” she said.

West reassured her. She said and within about an hour, Fred Ross called.

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That one message turned into hours of conversations. Maretta Ross said they “never really stopped” talking.

From there, the connection felt natural.

Maretta Ross said she had been divorced about six years at the time and never expected to marry again.

“I had been married my whole adult life,” she said.

But as the two started talking, she said, “it just kind of was easy.”

Fred Ross said he had been “waiting for the right one,” and when he reconnected with Maretta Ross, he felt he’d found what he was looking for.

When they finally reconnected in person, Maretta Ross described it as joyful.

“It was wonderful,” she said. “We just talked and talked and talked and talked just really got to know one another once again.”

The couple said they will celebrate almost three years of marriage in July.

Their advice for reconnecting

Maretta Ross said she hopes their story reminds others not to give up.

“Never give up on love,” she said. “Because you just never know.”

She also shared what she learned along the way, including unlearning habits from her first marriage.

“Allowing someone to help lead,” she said. “I was so strong-minded… I’ve had to humble myself a little bit and be a partner.”

Her other advice: Be patient.

“Good things come to those who wait,” she said.

For the next generation, she added another reminder: Treat people well.

“Be kind to everyone because you don’t know when you’ll see them again,” Ross said.

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