Lessons from an Alberta couple celebrating 75 years together

In case you’re in search of recommendation on the right way to obtain a contented marriage, you can be taught a factor or two from John and Bertha Wingenbach.

The Edmonton couple, “each 96 years outdated and counting,” in accordance with John, simply celebrated their seventy fifth marriage ceremony anniversary.

They married on June 3, 1947 — almost 5 years earlier than Queen Elizabeth ascended to the throne.

“Our marriage was so pure … we moved from single to marriage so naturally that it simply appeared prefer it needed to be,” John mentioned in an interview. “There was by no means any doubt.”

Their secrets and techniques for a profitable marriage comes all the way down to prioritizing three issues, he mentioned.

“The primary one could be very easy … select the proper accomplice,” John mentioned. “Every part else will fall into place.”

The second factor, he mentioned, is to compromise.

The third factor is to permit your accomplice to be their very own individual — “not attempt to change them into one thing else,” John mentioned.

John and Bertha grew up on farms in Saskatchewan and knew one another earlier than they met once more in Calgary after they have been 20. Bertha was working at a hospital and John was a telegraph operator with the Canadian Pacific Railway.

“We grew to become mates rapidly and that quickly developed into one thing extra,” John wrote.

For John, town was a scary place.

“Once you’re distant like that, you meet somebody from dwelling. It is a massive deal,” he advised CBC.

“So we grew to become mates and it developed into one thing extra. And a 12 months later, we have been married.”

Similarities of their cultural and non secular backgrounds additionally performed an element in bringing them collectively, John mentioned.

“We have been members of the Catholic Church, which we have stored up,” mentioned Bertha.

“I’ve respect for him. He has the identical for me.”

Earlier than CBC interviewed John and Bertha, John sat down at a pc and typed 9 neat paragraphs of reminiscences of their life collectively.

“To this present day,” John wrote, “I nonetheless take into account marrying Bertha was my best achievement.”

Eleven company attended their small marriage ceremony at a Calgary church. “Bertha wore a protracted white costume and lengthy veil,” John wrote. “She regarded stunning.”

Church was adopted by a restaurant meal and “croquet on the entrance garden of Bertha’s landlord’s home.” At 5 p.m., the newlyweds boarded a Greyhound bus for Banff, the place they loved “5 superb days … utilizing bicycles as our transportation.”

We have been very seldom separate.– John Wingenbach

They settled first in Calgary. After some stops in smaller communities in Alberta and Saskatchewan, they landed in Edmonton in 1952. John’s telegraphy profession got here to an finish. He moved into accounting and so they purchased their first dwelling.

Their married life has principally been spent collectively. “We have been very seldom separate,” John mentioned.

They loved lengthy walks — “I feel perhaps that helped our well being rather a lot,” he mentioned — and have been content material being at dwelling, save for the occasional highway journey throughout Canada or into the USA. John took Bertha with him on enterprise journeys.

The Wingenbachs’ marriage has been an inspiration to their three kids and 4 grandchildren, who considered them as a single unit.

“After I ask my grandfather or my grandmother a query, they very a lot know one another,” mentioned grandson Rodney Al.

“And so the solutions I get again after they’re talking on behalf of each of them, every of them can converse for each of them very confidently.”

After a lifetime collectively, the Wingenbachs take into account it a blessing that they nonetheless have one another.

“It is in all probability the best blessing now we have,” John mentioned.

After their first 27 years in Edmonton, the couple moved to Lloydminster after which to Medication Hat earlier than returning to Edmonton about 4 years in the past.

The couple stay at Rosedale Seniors’ Residing in Edmonton. They deliberate to rejoice their anniversary with household at dwelling.