Local couple reflects on 60-plus years together
Tallulah – When 12-year-old Sue Sherrill met a friend of her older brother, 14-year-old Billy Clark, the two had no idea where fate would take them.
On Sept. 1, 2023, Sue and Billy celebrated 62 years of marriage at their home in Graham County.
Every couple has memories to share and stories to tell, but the Clark’s story is definitely one for the books. They have traveled the world together goldmining in Alaska; sailing the Rhyne River in Europe; following the path of Jesus in Israel (five times); and returning to their small hometown in western North Carolina to retire from a lifetime on the road.
Billy started a summer job with the carnival when he was 15 years old – and he enjoyed it. He was paid $3 a night Monday-Friday and $5 on Saturday: for a total of $20 a week.
He was bitten by the amusement bug and began a life on the road. Every fall, he would return to his home in Robbinsville. While he was away, he and Sue would write letters and when he returned home in the fall, they would go on dates.
They were married on a whim in McCaysville, Ga., on Sept. 1, 1961: Sue recalled that the pair was unable to find a minister willing to marry them until they crossed state lines – the ceremony took place around 11:30 p.m. that night, bringing an end to a long day of searching for someone to unite them in Christ.
Quickly, they picked up the carnival life together. Bill started working his way up in the business, saving his money and purchasing rides. Sue joined him on the road and the two worked carnivals from Maine to Miami.
The Clarks traveled with Stine Amusements until the owner passed and Bill was given the opportunity to buy out Stine Amusements. Stine Amusements soon became Smoky Mountain Amusements and the Clarks were in business.
The couple ran the business from 1999 until they retired in 2014. Billy’s goal was to have a show with 50 rides – and he ended his career with 49, which is pretty impressive.
They were successful in business. The greatest expenses came from financing rides and the insurance they needed to operate. They worked as a team. Billy managed the operations, and Sue handled the money, made the bookings and paid the bills.
After 58 years in the business, Bill found himself exhausted. He couldn’t find dependable help and decided he was ready to go back to his roots. The Clarks returned to Robbinsville and sold the equipment.
For the last nine years, the Clarks have enjoyed a quiet life in the Tallulah community where Sue was raised. The couple operate a rental business called 129 Cabins since. They are active in their church at Bear Creek. Bill is still active with the Robbinsville Shriners Club.
Together, they enjoy going to the Georgia Mountain Fair to hear some good music and enjoy the bustle of the crowd before returning to the solitude of home.
If you are driving toward Andrews on U.S. 129 South and you see a Ferris Wheel, you don’t need your eyes examined. You are seeing the vision that Clark carried home with him, to place the ride on top of the mountain for all to see, and as a reminder of the life and time spent on the road and the blessings of home.
He built a road to haul it up on the mountain and had to have a bulldozer and a backhoe to get it there.
The Clarks have spent a lifetime enjoying each other and making memories all over the world. They couldn’t have known in 1961 what adventures lay ahead for them, but they have sure enjoyed their ride.