Residents at Green Falls Landing retirement community gathered to reminisce on how their lifelong marriages all started. On Thursday, nine couples were honoured for celebrating at least 60 years of marriage – a record number according to the retirement community, which celebrates the birthdays and anniversaries of its residents each month. Of the three couples that CTV News spoke to, Stanley and Terry Nowokowski stood atop in longevity. The pair met on a blind date, going out for coffee right after Stanley bought a new car. “I was shy and she was a nice little girl,” Stanley said. Terry explained that she was called to be part of a double date with Stanley and one of his friends. “We went out for coffee and I liked him, and he liked me. So two days later, he phoned me and that was the end of it,” Terry said. At the time of their first date, Stanley was 24 and Terry was 20, and the couple eventually married on July 20, 1957. Before getting married that summer and the two got engaged in an unlikely place. “It was on the 14th of December; he lost his fingers. On the 16th of December, we got engaged at the hospital,” Terry said. After Stanley sought the blessing of Terry’s father, she became the first of 23 children to be married. With Stanley now 95 years old and Terry being 90, the couple is extremely happy to see how their lives together have turned out. The pair built a house on 6th Avenue, where they lived for 64 years. They’ve also seen their family continue on with two daughters, four grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Fred and Marlene Fred and Marlene Lawrek celebrated their 65th anniversary on July 15. The couple married in 1961 in the village of Dysart. “A very hot day, extremely hot. There were a million grasshoppers,” Fred said. The two also met on a blind date, with a little bit of a plot twist. “It was a rather odd experience,” said Fred. “My buddy and I decided to date two ladies, he picked Marlene for his partner and I was supposed to go with the other lady. Before the evening was over, we somehow switched ladies.” After one year of dating, the couple decided to get married. Ken and Shirley On July 16, 1962, a year and a day after the Lawreks got married, Ken and Shirley Fowler married in Filmore. The pair met in high school, after Ken won a bet against Shirley about the New York Yankees, eventually landing them 64 years of marriage. The couple bought a farm in 1966 and expanded their family with two sons, five granddaughters and one great granddaughter. They moved to Regina in 2013. What’s their secret? Here is what the couples said in regards to keeping a long term relationship. “I don’t know. We just stuck it out, I guess, didn’t we?” said Ken Filmore. Stanley and Terry emphasized perseverance. “You have all the hard [fights] and keep going,” said Stanley. “Yes, you have to put up with a lot,” Terry added. Marlene Lawrek said there has to be a lot of give and take on both sides in order to keep a relationship together. “You go to work at everything you do in this world and it’s been very rewarding. We have our disagreements, we don’t always agree,” she said. Lorna Knoll, the executive director of Green Falls said it was an honour for her to sit with all nine couples and ask them questions. “What was the most memorable thing that you remember about your spouse? How did you meet? What was a funny, cute moment?” were some of the examples she gave. “The joy is on their faces when they’re remembering everything and they remember very specific items to [the] day that they met their spouse which is amazing.” With files from Gareth Dillistone
