Community Corner

'We Met on AOL, When Meeting on the Internet Wasn't Cool'

Merrimack's 'Cutest Couple' TerryAnn and Jake Bowen tell the story of how they met – and it turns out, they are huge fans of Valentine's Day.

MERRIMACK, NH -- Last week we put out a call for local lovebirds to share photos of themselves in a "Cutest Couple" gallery in honor of Valentine's Day. A dozen couples shared photos and a panel of Patch editors voted on Wednesday night, naming TerryAnn and Jake Bowen the winners.

They filled out a questionnaire sharing some information about themselves, their family and the then-unconventional way they met.

Meet the Bowen's, scroll through their photos above (we were big fans of the baby shower t-shirts) and leave them a comment below.

Find out what's happening in Merrimackwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Don't forget to check out all the other wonderful couples who uploaded their photos to the Cutest Couple gallery.

Names:  

Find out what's happening in Merrimackwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

TerryAnn and Jake Bowen

Relationship:

Married 13 wonderful years!

Wedding or Dating Anniversary?

10/10/99. We had a big vow renewal on 10/10/10 and had a big wedding all over again.  All of our children were included.  Even the 4 month old baby (from the belly in the baby shower photo) was the ring bearer.  With a little help, of course, from his aunt carrying him :)

Children?  

6 children. When we met, we had 3 children. He had a daughter and I had two sons...then during the course of our marriage, we had 3 more, which were 2 girls and a little boy who is now two.

Pets?  

One kitty named Valentine ... he was a Valentine gift from my husband to me 5 years ago.

How did you meet?  

This is an interesting story for you. We met on AOL, when meeting on the internet wasn't cool yet.  We met in an ordinary chat room, and sparks flew. Jake didn't even see my photo for more than a month.  After conversing for several months, we just had to meet.  I flew all the way to Oregon to meet him, and two months later, he moved here to be with me. :)

Favorite thing about each other?    

Jake: Her eyes are awesome, but my favorite thing is her adventurous spirit. TerryAnn: He says that I have an adventurous spirit??? This is coming from a man that moved 3,000 miles to live with the woman he fell in love with! What's more adventurous than that? I love the Daddy in him. He can be strong and protective and then mild and sensitive. It's very attractive. And his laugh is my favorite sound in the world.

Where did you go on your first date?  

We went to an Italian restaurant in Jacksonville, Oregon. Jake had TerryAnn try tiramisu for the first time and she fell in love ... with the dessert too.

Favorite date spot in Merrimack?  

We enjoy dates at the Common Man restaurant. We love to share the baked apples. Although, most of the time, these "dates" include some of our children.

Do you celebrate Valentine's Day?    

We like to tell people that in our house, it's Valentine's Day every day! Valentine's Day is a very special day in the Bowen house!  We have a cat named Valentine because he was a gift from Jake to TerryAnn 5 years ago. Valentine's Day also lives in our hearts and on our hands since we have each others names tattooed onto our wedding ring finger. This was also a Valentine Day gift to each other on 2/14/02.  These days, we have to incorporate the children into our Valentine's Day routine, so it's a special dinner at a kid-friendly restaurant, followed by chocolate fondue at our kitchen table.  

Which do you prefer:

Bowling or the movies?  

Jake: Movies    

TerryAnn: Movies  

Chocolate or vanilla?  

Jake: Vanilla  

TerryAnn: Vanilla

A night out or a night in?  

Jake: Night out  

TerryAnn: A night out ... what is that?   We can't get out much because of  the kiddies ... but clearly, if it were an option, a night out would win!

Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall?

Jake: Summer  

TerryAnn: LOVE LOVE LOVE the summer!

Do you believe in love at first sight?

Jake: Yes, when I first saw her I fell in love. But the truth is that I fell in love before I saw her. We met on the Internet, and didn't meet in person for months, and when you take a man's eyes away, all he can see with, is his heart.

TerryAnn: Not only did it happen then, but after 13 years of marriage, I still fall in love at the first sight of him every day.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here