Living in the rural, small town of Macon, Mo., can be a challenge for a lesbian couple in their 60s. Constance "Con" Vermillion, 62, and Kazia "Kaz" Macey, 64, choose to have separate identifiable rooms even though they sleep in one. From day one they have been private about their relationship, even more so than they are now. Therefore, they choose to spend more time at home. "Our home is our safe haven," Con says.

Con and Kaz met in their college years at Ball State University in Indiana during the 1960s. A relationship that started out as roommates blossomed into a friendship and, ultimately, a loving partnership that's approaching its 44th anniversary.

Kaz says to those who may be surprised to learn about them, "We have always been who we have been to friends and family and those who we may meet in the future and have not changed, and we'd like to continue to live a private life."

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Photographs of Constance Vermillion, left, 18, and Kazia Macey, 20, a.k.a. "Con" and "Kaz" (pronounced Kahsz) taken in 1967 during a weekend getaway in Chicago, Illinois. The two started their relationship in 1966. They only know of one other lesbian in Macon, and odds are there are more. "We wish there was some type of gathering we can have to share experiences and know there are others out there experiencing the same things we are and discuss how to make it easier for the younger folks in Macon to be who they are if they are gay or lesbian and how they could avoid the pitfalls of what we had to deal with and still do, " says Con.