Posted on 12/25/2007 10:22:20 AM PST by NormsRevenge
WATERFORD, Wis. - Some people get surprise birthday parties. Ilda Ruth Southey gets surprise weddings.
Twice in her life Southey was surprised with a wedding ceremony on Christmas Eve, both times to Francis Southey.
Her future husband planned their original wedding for Christmas Eve 1942 while he was stationed in Sherman, Texas, awaiting orders to ship off to Europe during World War II.
"I didn't know I was getting married, I just went to spend Christmas with him and I got down there, he had the wedding all arranged," said Ruth Southey, 85, who lives at the Waterford Senior Living facility.
On Monday, staff at the senior facility arranged the same surprise for their 65th anniversary. The couple renewed their vows in front of three generations of teary-eyed family and friends.
At the ceremony, Francis Southey, 90, reminisced about how the first wedding almost didn't happen.
"She said that she wasn't going to marry me," he said. "She said she didn't wanted to get married. She wanted a wedding, a big wedding, but I didn't have any money."
To Ruth Southey, her 65th anniversary is a milestone she always sensed would come.
"As my mother always said, when you are married, you are married for life and that's what we did," Ruth said. "It's just life, that's what it is. Just life."
Who says men aren’t good at organizing?
65 years, wow.
Merry Christmas to the “newlyweds” and family and to
All!
What a good example. God bless them with many more years.
Nice:’) What’s with all the Xmas headlines from the media today?
I liked this one too ..
My Dad always said it was only a 50 year deal and, after that, all bets were off. It’ll be 62 years for Mom and Dad in a few days, so I guess it’s holding up even though the warranty’s expired. Part of the deal was that whoever wanted a divorce had to take the kids, so they only had 7 of us. My Uncle John used to say, “She never told me she had all these kids when I married her. She just brought ‘em home one at a time. Sneaky, huh?”
What a great story! “It’s just life” - what a great way to look at marriage. Encouraging!
Merry Christmas!
What a wonderful story.
Today is the 59th Anniversary of my daughter’s (and my) surrogate grandparents. Tomorrow would have been 75 for my granparents.
Debbie was the most cutely embarassed, slightly crying "bride" I'd ever layed eyes on.
I miss that girl.
Merry Christmas, y'all.
The parents of the man who owns the flower shop where I often pick up a flower for the wife are both over 100 years old and have been married for nearly 80 years. They have been on Paul Harvey three times. And they look like they will be around awhile longer. I guess the record anniversary is 82 years - maybe they will break that!
We’ve only been married 41 years. I hope it lasts. I’d hate to try ‘n start over.
what a wonderful story!
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