“I’m Getting Married in an Hour, I’m on My Way to Pick You Up”

BY JE’DON HOLLOWAY-TALLEY | Special to the Birmingham Times

YOLANDA AND LOLANDO PEARSON

Live: Titusville

Married: Sept. 20, 1985

Met: In the fall of 1983 at Southern Technical College in Irondale. Yolanda was 20, and Lolando was 22. They were in the same classes and became good friends.

“I think both of us were really focused on school, and it seemed that he knew what he was doing so I would often go to him and ask him questions…,” Yolanda recalled. “He had a dictaphone [a device used for recording and transcribing spoken words, often used in professional settings] and would listen to books and things that he was interested in and I thought he was smart and I was attracted to intelligence. I already had Roderick [her son who was 2 at the time] and I think we were both just focused on our futures. And then we discovered that he grew up in the same neighborhood as my grandparent’s home [in Airport Hill/Birmingham] and that we knew a lot of the same people, and that made our connection stronger.”

“At the time, I had just lost my father, and I was just trying to find my way…  after my father died I had to leave Tuskegee [University] and come back home and my mother convinced me to continue my education at the trade school. I met Yolanda and she seemed to be pretty independent… I was ahead of the class on a skill level because I had two years of drafting experience because I was studying architecture at Tuskegee… I was girl shy because I’m the youngest of 7 sons, so women was a new adventure for me….one day I finally asked her out,” Lolando said.

First date: Spring of 1984, the pair went to a drive-in movie in Center Point, where they saw Conan The Barbarian featuring Grace Jones and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and to the Red Lobster in Eastwood Mall for dinner at a restaurant.

They don’t recall much about the date, but Yolanda remembers a tidbit about dinner: “I remember that was my first time eating crab legs and I wasn’t successful at cracking them open, but I was successful at eating them,” she laughed. “Lolando opened them all up for me and let me get the meat out of them.”

“It was fun watching her try to eat them and then I started cracking them open and giving them to her. It was a fun night, and nice getting to know each other outside of class,” said Lolando.

Since then, Yolanda has not only learned to eat them, but she also loves preparing them for seafood feasts. “They’re my favorite.” she said.

The turn: Yolanda and Lolando’s relationship was a natural progression from their first date onward. Neither recall having a conversation about exclusivity, “It was just evident,” said Lolando.

The proposal: Summer 1985. The couple did not have a traditional proposal and engagement period because of the ruckus caused by certain family members on Lolando’s side who opposed the union. So, they did a few pre-marital counseling sessions and agreed to allow Yolanda’s aunt to officiate a small ceremony.

The wedding: At Yolanda’s parents’ home in Birmingham, and officiated by Yolanda’s late aunt, Minister Essie Williams. Yolanda wore cream and had a bouquet of white and blue flowers. Her sister, Robin Cooper, stood as her maid of honor, and Lolando’s friend, Christopher Brooks, was his best man.

Most memorable for the groom was the surprise he dropped on his mother the day of his wedding, he made a phone call that blew his mother’s mind: “I called her up and I said what are you going to be doing in the next hour, and she said nothing, and I said ‘good, I’m getting married in an hour, I’m on my way to pick you up’,” Lolando said. “My mom was speechless, and only said ‘okay’. By the time I got to her house, she was still panicking and trying to get dressed.”

Most memorable for the bride was having a tardy groom. “He was a whole hour late to the wedding. But he called me and told me what was going on and that his mother had agreed to come to the wedding and that he would be there as soon as he could,” Yolanda said.

Honeymoon: “We drove to Panama City, Florida, and we drove all night from Birmingham. I was so exhausted, but Lolando wanted to get on the road and go with the flow. Well, we drove all night and got to the hotel and couldn’t check in yet,” Yolanda laughed. “But Lolando is so patient, and he got me to relax and just enjoy the adventure. We ended up having a really good time,” she said.

Words of wisdom: The Pearsons said they know that they are soulmates. The pair divorced in 2010 and remarried on their original anniversary date, September 20, five years later.

“It’s the friendship at the foundation of our relationship. We are literally best friends, and the divorce could not stop that. We continued to have dinners, spend the holidays together, and take care of one another when we were sick, it was almost like we weren’t even divorced,” Yolanda said.

The Pearsons went through a traumatic time when they lost their oldest son in a car wreck. The grief was unbearable for Yolanda — “…my daughter said I shut down and stopped living life. I was devastated and it changed the dynamic of everything,” Yolanda said.  “My dad always told me marriage and life has its seasons and you’re going to go through your ups and downs. But when you get older, you realize what matters and that love covers all. Nowadays, people are breaking up for selfish reasons, but the wisdom is in the endurance of the season and believing that the seasons do change.”

“You’re two different people so you’re not going to agree on everything and you’re not going to win every fight. Pick your battles and know as long as you’re moving in the same direction you can make it through,” Lolando said. “Marriage is not easy, but it’s worth it. People get divorced because they say they’re not happy, but happy ain’t got nothing to do with it; marriage is a commitment.”

Happily ever after: The Pearsons attended Evangel K.C. in Kansas City, Missouri, where they served on the Children’s Church, Missions, and Evangelism [feeding the hungry] ministries. Also, they served on mission trips to Costa Rica, and Uganda. They have not found a new home church in Birmingham but are eager to get back into ministry. They have two children, the late Roderick Pearson, who died in a car wreck in November of 2001, at age, 20, Ciara Pearson, 36, and four grandchildren. They moved back to Birmingham in December 2023 to prepare for retirement and be closer to family.

Yolanda, 60, is a West End native, and West End High School grad. She attended Johnson County Community College, in Overland Park, Kansas, where she obtained an associate’s degree in applied science, and Mid-America Nazarene University in Olathe, Kansas, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership. She works remotely as an electrical substation drafter for Power Engineers based out of Overland Park, Kansas.

Lolando, 62, is a Woodlawn native and Woodlawn High School grad. He joined the Marine Reserves after high school where he served in the FDIC Artillery for four years and attended Tuskegee University where he studied architecture. He retired as a contract electrical designer, a profession he held for more than 30 years. He is now spending his retirement doing futures day trading.

“You Had Me at Hello’’ highlights married couples and the love that binds them. If you would like to be considered for a future “Hello’’ column, or know someone, please send nominations to Barnett Wright bwright@birminghamtimes.com. Include the couple’s name, contact number(s) and what makes their love story unique.