They had no time to wait.

Nolan Mitchell had just finished his first of college, after returning from military service in 1946. He had reconnected with his sweetheart, Wilma Bowers, and they knew they were going to get married.

The couple had a few options. They could wait until the school year was done in June and have their wedding then, or they could squeeze it into a small window during the holiday season.

They chose the latter.

“There was no reason to fool around,” Wilma Mitchell said. “It was either get married in December, or wait around until June. Yeah, right.”

Seventy-five years later, the Mitchells love is still going strong. The couple celebrates their diamond anniversary today and plans to enjoy each other’s company in their Franklin home. No big party is planned, though their children — Craig, Kent and Sara — and their families will help them recognize the milestone.

“God has been good to us, God has blessed us with a wonderful family,” Wilma Mitchell said.

Nolan, 96, and Wilma Mitchell had known each other since they were students at Trafalgar High School. Nolan was a senior at the time, and Wilma was a freshman.

But their connection didn’t extend much beyond running into each other at events and in the hallways. Even that meeting was fortuitous; Nolan Mitchell’s family farm was right on the border of Nineveh and Trafalgar schools, and he had attended Nineveh High School for much of his school career.

The start of World War II was the impetus for Nolan changing schools.

“For several years during the war, they had to ration gasoline. Nineveh was about seven miles from us, and Trafalgar was about 2 1/2 miles,” Nolan Mitchell said. “We were fortunate we could transfer for that reason.”

After graduation in 1944, Nolan Mitchell joined the U.S. Army Air Force, where he served until his discharge in December 1946. He and Wilma reconnected when Nolan would come to pick up his brother at Trafalgar High School, and run into Wilma, who was in the same class.

“We didn’t ever really meet, but I was friends with people who were in his class. Trafalgar’s not a really big place,” Wilma Mitchell said. “We were all like a family, and that’s how we started.”

After Wilma Mitchell graduated from high school in 1947, their relationship took off, and Nolan Mitchell proposed to her in August. They planned their wedding for Dec. 28, 1947.

The ceremony was a joyous one, held in Trafalgar Christian Church with friends and family helping celebrate the couple. A write-up of the ceremony appeared in the Franklin Evening Star on Dec. 30, 1947, describing the gown that Wilma Mitchell and her mother designed and made.

“The buttoned down back, high neck bodice had long leg-o-mutton sleeves and a yoke of imported lace. A deep peplum draped over the long skirt fell into a short train. A half crown beaded with seed pearls caught the finger-tip veil. She carried a single large gardenia on a carved, wood-backed Bible which came from the Holy Land,” the story read.

Because Nolan Mitchell had to be back for classes at Purdue University, they took a short honeymoon, traveling from Trafalgar down to Nashville, Tennessee, and stopping at the sights along the way.

Over the 75 years together, the Mitchells have lived a full and adventurous life. They owned their own appliance store while living in Muncie, and Nolan Mitchell worked at REMC in Huntington for a time. Most of their lives, they lived in Johnson County.

“It was nice being close to where we had gone to school,” Nolan Mitchell said.

Travel has been a favorite pastime; the couple has been to all 50 states over the years, on family vacations and trips by themselves. They’ve visited 33 presidential homes, libraries or birthplaces, seeing the history and lives behind most U.S. presidents.

Supporting their kids’ activities during their childhood filled much of their time.

“Our kids were our hobby. We followed ball games and all musicals and all of that kind of stuff,” Wilma Mitchell said. “We were very fortunate to have talented kids.”

Their long life spent together has been a joy, they say. Still, Nolan and Wilma Mitchell won’t be having a big celebration for their 75th anniversary, which is perfectly fine with them.

“We’ve had a party for 25 years, 50 and 70. We’re not going to do anything,” Wilma Mitchell said.