The Lancaster Performing Arts Center and Time Warner Cable recently teamed up to find the "Greatest Romantic Story" in the Antelope Valley in honor of the Sept. 19 concert by The Lettermen, called the '"greatest male romantic group of all time" by Billboard Magazine.

The grand prize winners, Fred and Donna Neilson, won a pair of tickets to the concert, dinner for two at Black Angus in Lancaster, flowers from Antelope Valley Florist andhad a song dedicated to them by The Lettermen during the performance.

The Neilsons' entry is below. To read other entries in the Top 10, visit www.lpac.org or download the PDF file.

Fred and Donna (Grand prize winners)
It was the year of 1948; I was a sophomore in high school. The dance I was attending was one of those small town "boot kickin'" functions in Washington, Utah. I didn't expect this one to change my life; but I fell in love. The young man's name was Fred Neilson, he had a twin brother named Ferd; and the two of them lived on a farm with the rest of their close knit family; raising livestock, growing food, and riding horses.

He was enchanting. My father had secured his private pilot's license after WWII, and flew me to Fred's dances in Utah, and Fred to mine in Nevada. We dated through our last two years of high school. On his prom night, we went horseback riding, he in his suit and me in my prom dress. I felt like a princess.

Fred went on a church mission after graduation and I faithfully wrote letters every day. I never received a single letter in return. I was hurt and angry. Determined to forget the love of my life, I moved on, married and had a daughter.

Fred returned from his mission; found I was married, and joined the Army. My husband, and father of my child; found married life and his selfishness didn't mesh well. We divorced when my baby daughter was four months old.

I remarried when my daughter was 4, was married until 1976 when my husband died of a cerebral hemorrhage, leaving me a widow with seven children. Fred came to visit me during my grief and I was intolerably rude, my hurt and anger had surfaced after all those many years.

In February 2008, I had a five-point heart bypass surgery. Fred called my home while I was in the hospital. My eldest daughter answered the phone; he identified himself and told her that he had loved me since 1948.

Although I really didn't think I was open to any more hurt in my life; I was willing to accept his calls when I returned home from the hospital. Fred had lost his wife of many years in August 2007.

Our many calls per day revealed that my mother, bless her soul, had returned all the letters he had written to me when he was on his mission. She had also returned a beautiful engagement ring and heartfelt letter telling me that he would raise my daughter as his own, replacing the father and husband that walked out on us both. She never told me.

His calls sped my recovery; we eloped on April 28, 2008. I am now married to the love of my life.