Some love stories are written quickly. Others unfold slowly, shaped by timing, distance, and the certainty that some connections are simply meant to last. Colby and Linda’s’ story belongs to the latter—a love that grew steadily, returned faithfully, and endured.
Their story began long before Colby and Linda ever met. Linda grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Colby was raised just outside Rogersville, Tennessee, off a small road called Bear Hollow. Their families became connected through service, when Linda’s father and Colby’s father met after joining the Navy at the beginning of World War II. Both men were transferred into the Marines as corpsmen—frontline medics tasked with providing immediate care under unimaginable pressure, often with little formal training, which men neither had.
That bond between fathers became the bridge between families. When Linda was just 12 years old, Colby’s father happened to be in New Orleans on business. On a whim, he looked up Linda’s father’s number and asked to stop by. That visit turned into an invitation —Linda’s family traveled north to visit Colby’s family and explore the Smoky Mountains. From that point on, the families visited each other year after year.
As the years passed, childhood visits grew into something more. During their teenage summers, Colby and Linda became sweethearts. Linda recalls knowing, even then, that Colby would always be part of her life—though she couldn’t yet imagine that they would one day be married.
College took them down different paths, but never far apart. Linda attended the University of Louisiana, studying K–8 education, while Colby enrolled at the University of Tennessee. His academic journey took a few turns—chemistry, banking, and eventually business—but through it all, their relationship simply “stuck.”
In 1966, with the draft looming, Colby joined the Navy.
“I was sworn in on a Monday night and got an induction notice for the Army the very next day.”
Joining the Navy allowed Colby to enter the Naval Reserves, giving him the chance to continue his education. Looking back, he believes that decision changed everything—including the course of his relationship with Linda.
“If I hadn’t had joined the Navy that very day, I don’t know what would have happened with Linda.”
Not long after, Linda transferred to the University of Tennessee herself.
“I knew I would always end up in Knoxville."
The summer of 1967 marked several milestones including their engagement and their first visit to Kimball’s Jewelers, then located in downtown Knoxville. Colby lived down from the store. Kimball’s was already a trusted name, so it felt natural to shop there for something so meaningful.
Together, they chose a fluorescent solitaire diamond that glowed brilliantly in the light. In 1967, it cost $300. What Linda didn’t know was that Colby had already arranged for Kimball’s to set the diamond, all while telling her he couldn’t afford the ring and that they’d have to wait.
When the ring was finally ready, Colby didn’t make a speech. He simply stood there, silently offering the ring box, hopeful for a “yes.”
Linda said yes.
They celebrated with dinner and tickets to Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.
“If you don’t know that play, it’s very solemn. But I was giggling the whole time, staring at my engagement ring.”
Colby and Linda were married later that year, in December 1967, and while they’ve explored other jewelry stores over the years, they always seem to return to Kimball’s.
“We just have an emotional connection. Their customer service is everything.”
That connection has carried through decades and milestones, reflected in pieces that bring Linda joy in different ways. A gold lariat necklace with pearls has become one of her most prized pieces loved for how effortlessly it feels like her. Another piece is a palm tree necklace Colby gave Linda after they sold a beloved beach house in South Carolin to commemorate the treasured memories by the shore.
Each piece tells a chapter of their story—not just where they’ve been, but what they’ve held onto. Today, that story lives on not only in the jewelry they cherish, but in the family they've built together.
For over 160 years, stories like Colby and Linda’s have shaped the heart of Kimball’s Jewelers. Because jewelry isn’t just about sparkle. Jewelry is about the moments and memories that endure long after the first shine.
Kimball’s Jewelers—where life’s moments shine a little brighter.
