I didn't know what had happened to him and he hasn't seen me. Then I saw in the Abilene Reporter-News where his wife had passed away. I read that in December. So one day after April Fool's Day, Billie Jean rang George up at his San Angelo home. After telling him who she was, she began to feel badly about ringing him up so soon after his loss.
Friends say it's been a long road to the altar.
The whole episode began shortly after World War II, when George Ricks returned from service only to discover his wife wanted a divorce. Afterward, he met Billie Jean. Because Billie Jean knew her parents would never approve, the couple courted on the sly. When George left town to find work, their passion continued to flower in the form of letters. His letters were always sent to her friends, so as to keep the relationship from her parents.