Two New Englanders found love on the job and have now made their home in the Gates Four community in Hope Mills. Sergeant Jeremy Wirths and Dr. Erin Wirths along with their newborn daughter, Adaline, are dwelling in a modern-style home at the end of a cul-de-sac in the growing development. “We liked this house because it has a three-car garage. It’s big enough to where Jeremy can have his workout equipment in there,” Erin said simply. However, their move and current living situation in Fayetteville is not so cut and dry. “I have a subspecialty in EMS and disaster medicine. There are very few jobs in the country and this was the only one near a military base,” said Erin. Unfortunately, Jeremy is unable to get reassigned to Fort Bragg from Fort Drum, located in upstate New York. Fortunately, he only has two years left in the army and makes it a priority to come to Fayetteville at least one weekend a month. Erin and Jeremy met a decade ago while both working in the public safety sector. And as their paths crossed during changing shifts, flirty comments were not exchanged, only glares. In 2011, they ended up at the same Christmas party back home in Maine after Jeremy returned from basic training. Later that week, a mutual friend revealed to Jeremy that Erin had a crush on him. So, first came love and then a home-run marriage. “We got married at Fenway Park,” said Erin while Jeremy interjected, “Who was I to say no?” What started as a joke between Erin and her best friend ended up as reality as they did their wedding venue research and discovered the cost was comparable with most spaces in the Boston area. “We had the whole park to ourselves. We had our reception in the glassed-in clubhouse behind home plate. It was awesome!” expressed Erin. “Our newest Red Sox fan is Adaline.” After finishing up her medical fellowship in Syracuse, which was a little over an hour away from Fort Drum, Erin interviewed at Cape Fear Valley Hospital. She got the job, so they packed up and headed south. But, they did leave a few things behind. “After my last deployment, we bought a ‘bargain bundle’ of furniture for a little less than three grand. Nothing really matched, but it was functional,” said Jeremy. Needless to say, that didn’t come with the Wirths to Fayetteville. In fact, all they really moved was some patio furniture and a bed. They set out to find an experienced interior designer who could find them the furnishings they were looking for… even they didn’t know what they actually wanted. They googled interior designers in the Fayetteville and Sandhills region and found Joshua Poindexter who is known for his modern and crisp style. “Joshua was upfront with pricing and he was also willing to do things long distance. We actually didn’t meet him for a couple of months,” explained Erin. Jeremy and Erin were both equally impressed with Joshua’s expertise and creative instinct, even without ever having met in person prior to decorating. The process of finding the furnishings the couple coveted and loved was that he asked them pick out ten photos of living arrangements they loved and ten things they hated. “He asked us for colors we absolutely did not want… and what colors we liked,” said Jeremy. Erin interjected, “And then he just went to town!” The young couple didn’t make changes to most of the rooms, keeping with the modern, and functional style. “He just hit the nail on the head nearly every time,” confirmed Erin. “My family moved around a lot while I was growing up, 23 moves. I just wanted to start from scratch.” Most of the furniture was from the website, Wayfair, while a few knick-knacks came from local chains like Marshall’s. The Wirths have the long-distance marriage and working parenting under control. "When I come home, Erin always has a ‘honey-do list’ for me. But we always spend quality time together as a family and also make time to be with and bond with the friends we have here at Fort Bragg… including my best friend from basic training,” said Jeremy. To compete with Erin’s grueling and unpredictable schedule, the couple has hired a nanny. “I work shifts in the ER. Overnights with no set schedule,” said Erin. After 23 moves and thinking about life post-military, the Wirths are strongly considering staying below the Mason-Dixon. Erin said, “We enjoy the South. We plan on settling down here. Everything is slower… even the traffic lights.” …. And both of them love North Carolina BBQ.
