Big Bridge is also famous for its graffiti from decades past.
“Wild-Man Jeff,” one of his bridge jumping buddies, to paint
That is where this story begins:
a mural on the side of Big Bridge. “It was easy. I paid him $40
It was June of 1995 and recently widowed Cathy was visiting
so he could go buy the paint and it was done,” Kurt said. At nightfall, Wild-Man Jeff walked the small ledge and painted in bright red, capital letters, “KAPT. KURT-N-CATHY 1995”, with a heart and arrow, on the side of Big Bridge. Kurt soon took Cathy to see the mural, and as true to the lyrics as the song is to their story, Cathy asked, “Why didn’t you paint it John Deere Green?” You’ll understand…next time you ride on a boat under the bridge play Joe Diffie’s song “John Deere Green” and the story will tell itself. In fact this lyric says it well, “On a clear day…if you look and know what to look for...you can still read his words of love.” On Valentine’s weekend of 1996 Kurt took Cathy out to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. They were circling the airport
her sister at Ken Lanom’s Trailer Court just northwest of Big Bridge, on County Road 330, and Kurt was visiting his parents who also owned a trailer there. Cathy was riding on her young nephew’s bike, with her knees awkwardly cranked up to her chest, when Kurt spotted her and their eyes met. “She had long, beautiful legs,” Kurt said with a smile as if it was yesterday. The next weekend Kurt hand-picked blueberries and returned to win the heart of his new found muse. That is when the love affair began. Although Cathy was from Fort Payne and Leeds-native Kurt now lived in Meridianville, just
above Atlanta when Kurt got in the aisle, on one knee, and proposed. “He had me trapped,” Cathy laughed recalling the memory. But this sweet surprise enabled the Bowden’s to celebrate the trip as an early honeymoon before the wedding. The vacation was even more memorable because their daughter, Dianna Bowden, was also in attendance – so it was a true heartfelt family celebration. Less than two months later, on April 6, 1996, Kurt and Cathy came back to Smith Lake and got married on a pontoon boat belonging to their friends, Stewart and Debbie Brown. That morning was cold and rainy, but it didn’t deter the bride and
north of Huntsville, distance could not keep the two apart. (Fun fact: Kurt graduated from Leeds High School, Class of 1981, with Charles Barkley). Their first official date was 4th of July when they met up to celebrate at Smith Lake Park for the annual fireworks extravaganza, riding in Cathy’s sister’s boat to the fireworks. Needless to say, it went off with a bang. “Kapt. Kurt,” who often wore a captain’s hat given to him by his mother, Anna Bowden, was smitten. Soon enough, he wanted to profess his love for his lady and could not think of a better way than plastering it high above the lake for the world to see. So, about two months into their relationship Kurt asked
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