An elderly couple shared moments of their 70th wedding celebration. The journey of their love story was very sweet and touching.
Melvin and Nancy Lubbers have just celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. The 91- and 86-year-old couple have spent a lot of time together, but their love seems to be growing as strong as ever.
These wedding celebration photos were an idea from their youngest granddaughter. Then professional wedding photographer Anna Behning, decided to share their story with the world.
Melvin and Nancy met at the local roller skating rink in Mitchell, South Dakota. After a relationship, Melvin finally got down on his knees and proposed to Nancy at the city's ballpark.
The young couple married at the First Lutheran Church in Mitchell, South Dakota, on January 6, 1952. They had a simple but beautiful ceremony with a light lunch, cake, and ice cream served in the church's reception hall.
Nancy has kept her original wedding dress for years, wearing it for the first time since she accepted Melvin as her legal husband. She bought it from Jarold's Shop for $35 and a veil for $15, completing the look with a bouquet of red roses.
Nancy stated that it felt really good to wear the dress again. They also had a great time reminiscing about the wedding day and the photoshoot was so much fun. Melvin couldn't take his eyes off her, even after 70 years of marriage.
Unfortunately, at that time the newlyweds couldn't spend too much time together after the wedding. Because only three weeks later Melvin, who was enlisted in the army, would undergo four months of basic training.
Upon their return, the pair only had 10 days to enjoy each other's company before Melvin was sent to Japan for further training, which later turned into eight months of fighting in the Korean War in North and South Korea, taking on the roles of Sergeant and tank.
Nancy remembers the importance of writing letters to each other, their only means of communication, because phone calls are impossible. But their separation didn't last much longer when Melvin returned from the war, their life together finally started in the small town where they got married.
The couple had five children, Melvin worked as a merchant and owned a sheep farm, while Nancy worked in a grocery store.
Work and lots of kids sounds like a lot of trouble because everything has its ups and downs. So what's the secret recipe for a healthy and strong marriage?
Nancy says that you should always respect each other even when you disagree. Show lots of love and care, forgive and forget. Do your best in life.
