In 1962, the United States put the first man in orbit and the Beatles recorded their hit single “Love Me Do.” In that same year, Elmo Battles was a 32-year-old Korean War veteran and single father of three boys working in his hometown of Cuero, Texas at the local Chevy dealership.

Elmo knew Shirley Battles’ parents as regular customers and one day they brought her and her sister in with them to the dealership where Elmo was to inspect their car. That’s when he first laid ...