Christmas Romance Passes 60 Years

A little more than 60 years ago, Julie and Al became one home.

Dec. 20, 1959, is recognized as the next step from their initial conversation at a Rural Life meeting. Rural Life is a program just as it implies, all about rural life, designed as the next step after 4-H.

They were in Kansas at the time.

"We came here January 1971," said Julie. "We've been here a long time."

The move followed graduating from Kansas State, and moving to Dodge City, Kan., then to Carlton, Kan. Al was then offered a job with Farmers National Company as a farm manager for absentee owners. They were already parents when they made the move. One was in third grade, the middle child was four and the youngest a month old.

"Life is a learning process," Al said, "all the time."

He recalls leaving the service and attending Kansas State. The college romance became part of the experience.

They met over a skill she could offer that he didn't have, or at least couldn't perform at the time: typing. She typed a class assignment for him and the relationship developed.

"We kept dating after that, for months," she said.

She recalls him taking her to movies at K-State. He recalls how the movies were a cheap date at the time: 25 cents.

He jokes about learning she was a good cook. She helped prepare the celebration of his parent's 40th anniversary.

When they started preparing for the wedding, he bought a diamond ring from a classmate who had a jewelry store.

Julie recalls making her own wedding dress, and kept the ceremony modest but appropriate.

A little more than a month after their 60th anniversary, the Sidney couple have the aura of natural affection. Their 60-year journey is the result of the glue that isn't easily dissolved: family and faith. They were in the Methodist church for 50 to 60 years. It is a lifetime of values that strengthened the relationship. Faith and their commitment to the church has been a part of their lives individually and as a couple.

"I was raised that way," Al said.

"I was too," Julie added.

Faithfulness to church services carried over into their weekend getaways. Even in the weekend camping trips, they took time for God, holding church services among those they were camping with.

They have since decided to stop camping, selling the camper and pickup-truck.

Some of the good times were challenging at the time, and have evolved into good memories. For example the move to Sidney. Julie recalls the move as "the coldest day of the year." The journey also included pushing, coasting from the overpass at Paxton to the gas station.

"We just had a good life," Julie says.

Their advice toward a long marriage include simple points: always communicate, share finances including having one checkbook, and respect each other.