GREENVILLE — When a lot of people are rushing around getting ready for Christmas, local dentist Mike Fourman was planning a surprise 45th wedding anniversary celebration for his wife, Linda.

The couple was married Dec. 19, 1971.

So, the dentist recently began his secretive plans. He had met with Kelly Spitler, owner of Adorable You Day Spa on Rhoades Avenue in Greenville. His plans, he told Spitler, were to start her day off with a manicure, pedicure and getting her hair styled and obtained a gift certificate to get that done.

He was going to give his wife the gift certificate Monday morning, but ended up doing it Sunday night. It was generally Spitler’s day off, but Linda went in and found the doors to be open.

“I thought it was just going to be a hairstyle,” Linda said.

“I am blessed to have such wonderful people in my life,” Spitler said. “This is only the beginning of her full day, which she is totally unaware of any of it. I’m so impressed with everything he has laid out for her. Men, do not go to these extremes any more. He deserves recognition in his honor. He’s gone to great lengths to keep all this very secret.”

Spitler felt honored to share the day with the Fourmans in this manner.

What was her favorite part of the day? “It would have to be the restaurant with Mike. We went to The Melting Pot in Dayton, which is an all fondue restaurant. There was a note from our sons waiting for us. Apparently I’m the only one that didn’t have a clue.”

She thinks her husband favorite part of the day was surprising her.

“I think he got a huge kick out of pulling it all off without me suspecting,” Linda said. “Of course the remodeling [at their home] had me a little distracted. We had agreed not to do anything for each other for Christmas or anniversary because of the remodeling. He said that the dinner was really special.”

Linda admitted that the pampering she got at the salon was beneficial.

“Yes, it was wonderful,” Linda said. “Kelly does an excellent job. She has been doing my hair for almost 15 years.”

Why does she think her husband did this for her?

“He just wanted to make me feel special since I don’t normally do all of the pampering,” she said. “Mike has always been a Godly example of a husband and father. Love and respect are what have made our marriage last. I am so very thankful for our 45 years together.”

The former Linda Eaton, she hails from South Bend, Indiana, and met Fourman at Manchester College, in North Manchester, Indiana.

“He was a year ahead of me,” she said. “I was a freshman and he was a sophomore when we met. He was dating a friend of mine, but I kept trying to put myself in front of him.”

It wasn’t long until they were dating.

Today, they have three sons, Matt, David and Aaron all married and living in the Greenville area, and eight grandddaughters, Hallie, Maddie, Kate, Ella, Macey, Charlotte, Jillian and Lila.

“Mike enabled me to be a stay-at-home mother, and I am appreciative of that,” she said.

All of the family was at the Fourman house for Christmas this past Saturday.

Both of them are active in 4-H and their church, Greenville Grace. They are 4-H advisers and she does all of the livestock sales at the Great Darke County Fair. They opened a dental clinic in the Dominican Republican through their church, and she is involved with the women’s ministry at church, a young moms group. They also have a small group meeting in their home once a week in another ministry.

In addition, Linda is now helping to do grant research at Family Health, where her husband works as a dentist.

Yes, Spitler is glad she got to be in cahoots with the dentist in pulling off this surprise.

“It’s been a blast planning this,” said Spitler. “Mike came in and set up her appointment and everything. He took the initiative about the services she needed. He wanted her pampered, including certain music.”

“To me that meant a lot,” Linda said. “He’s very thoughtful…always has been. I’m feeling very loved and special.”

She said on their 25th wedding anniversary, the local newspaper was holding a Valentine contest for the most romantic story.

“On our 25th, Mike had all of his staff come to our house and bring me a different outfit. Rita McCans gave me a facial and, by the end of the day, I had a complete outfit. I entered that contest and won.”