Second chance at love for Parker and Bennett

On Oct. 8, 2014, two Red Oak High School students, Cody Parker and Leatha Bennett, began dating. Eight years later, the two will wed on that same date at Cottonwood Pavilion in Shenandoah.

“We went to school together growing up, and got to know each other better in high school,” recalled Bennett. “Neither of us can remember what we were initially thinking when we first met, but it was more than likely along the lines of ‘Oh, she’s cute,’ for Cody and ‘Maybe he can help me pass this math class,’ for me.”

More seriously, Bennett said she first noticed Parker’s dimples and he first noticed her eyes, more than likely after an early out Wednesday after school.

The first date was at Casa de Oro in Red Oak, which must have gone well, since they became boyfriend/girlfriend.

“We were an item right away,” Bennett said. “During high school we constantly talked and got to know each other better, even if we weren’t always together.”

Following graduation, the duo tried dating long distance for a couple of years while in different states.

“We broke up when Cody moved to North Carolina for a year and I moved to Minnesota. That distance was too much for us to date, but after a year we both decided to move back to southwest Iowa and got back into contact with each other because we still missed each other too much,” Bennett said. “We had been through so much together and still had that spark. He asked me back out soon after we both lived in the area again and we moved in together three months later. Cody then proposed about three months after around 2 a.m. on July 3.”

Bennett added she had an inkling Parker was going to propose within the next year, but not when he did.

“After a long night of hanging out with friends, we were sitting outside on our porch at 2 a.m. talking. After a while, Cody went back inside and immediately came back out and got down on one knee with my great grandmother’s wedding ring and proposed. He said he couldn’t wait any longer, he had to ask in that moment,” she said.

Parker, who works at Allensworth Heating and Cooling in Red Oak, said he knew Bennett was ‘the one’ when he got in a car accident and she dropped everything to take care of him.

For Bennett, it was while they were at a wedding last fall on the dance floor.

“I just knew I wanted to grow old and dance with him the rest of my life.”

The two currently reside in Emerson, but plan to more to Red Oak in the spring. Bennett, who works at the Shenandoah Animal Hospital, said for them the wedding will be about fun, family and friends.