Q: Why did Billy and Ruth Graham ask the police to break into a New Jersey dry cleaning business?
A: Their clothing was locked inside.
In what may be one of the most comical anecdotes in Billy Graham’s autobiography, he tells the story of a predicament the young couple faced while on a trip to the Jersey Shore.
In the summer of 1945, Ruth Graham was six months pregnant with their first child, Gigi. Billy had recently become Youth for Christ’s first full-time evangelist and was scheduled to preach the Gospel in Ocean City, New Jersey. Ruth went along with him, and they enjoyed some downtime on the beach.
>>Photos: Billy and Ruth Graham Through the Years
While in Ocean City, they dropped off some clothing at a local cleaning business and were told they could pick it up in three days. The Grahams were too busy to get it then, so they stopped by one day later—and found the doors were locked and the owner had gone on a two-week vacation.
Desperate to get their clothing back—including a suit jacket, dress and coat—the young couple pleaded with the police to help them retrieve their belongings before they had to make the long trip home.
This is how Ruth Graham described what happened in a hastily written letter to her parents:
There was much ringing of burglar alarms and looks of amazement from the shoppers (it being on the main street) and loss of dignity on the part of the cops who had to climb ladders, open transoms, shut off the alarm and glare at wisecrackers who’d stick their necks in at the door and warn the cops if they didn’t get out they’d have to call the police. But they were good sports and seemed to enjoy it.
In the end, the Grahams got almost all of their clothing back but couldn’t find one yellow coat. They left some money with a local pastor so it could be mailed back to them upon the conclusion of the owner’s unannounced vacation.
>>Listen to Billy and Ruth Graham’s love story for the ages.
>>Read 5 pieces of marriage advice from the Grahams.
