WATERLOO - It has been about 16 years since Dave Stricker proposed to his girlfriend using a billboard on University Avenue.

To celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary today, his wife repaid the favor.

Earlier this week, Melissa Stricker surprised her husband with a billboard proclaiming her love along Falls Avenue. She swears it wasn't payback, just a way to show her husband how special he is to her.

"I started planning this about a year ago," she said. "I knew I had to do something special for him. He drives to work every day on Falls. … What better way to remind him every day that I still love him?"

In March 1990, Dave Stricker took Melissa to lunch at Casey's 218 Pub on University. After their meal he mentioned an interesting billboard and asked her to look. Next to a giant rose was the poem Dave Stricker penned: Roses are red; Violets are blue; It's time to wed; It's now up to you.

Obviously, she said yes.

Dave Stricker admits he was surprised with the latest public declaration.

"I pretty much said 'You got me on that one,'" he said. The billboard has led to some good-natured ribbing from co-workers and customers at Scot's Supply. "I was just waiting on a customer who was giving me a hard time about it."

Even though this billboard was Melissa Stricker's idea, she said it is a little weird to have her picture plastered on the sign.

"It's a lot bigger than I expected it would be," she said. "But our daughter thinks it's the coolest thing. She thinks her parents are celebrities."

Contact Emily Christensen at (319) 291-1520 or emily.christensen@wcfcourier.com.