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Ponoka couple celebrates 70 years of marriage

Ever since they tied the marital knot in 1945, Avis and Lawrence Landmark have been inseparable
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This 1945 wedding photo of Avis and Lawrence Landmark shows the beginning of a lifelong love for the couple who celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary Tuesday

Ever since they tied the marital knot in 1945, Avis and Lawrence Landmark have been inseparable and last week they celebrated 70 years marriage with family and friends.

Extended family made the trip to the Golden Leisure Lodge where the couple now live, to celebrate with Avis, 88, and Lawrence, 92, and to hear stories of their marriage Tuesday, June 30.

The Provost couple married in a double ring ceremony in Camrose and went on a honeymoon to Banff. In 1950 they purchased a farm near Morningside and have been in the area ever since.

Getting to the new farm is a story in itself as they had to sell many cows at $200 each to purchase the $3,500 farm. To transport the rest of the livestock and equipment, Lawrence grabbed his Cockshutt 70 tractor and pulled a two-wheeled and four-wheeled wagon fully loaded with supplies.

Avis drove their 1937 Ford car with a homemade trailer, made from an old Model T Ford, which was packed with chickens, a pig and in the backseat their three-year-old son. It took several trips to make the move.

“We pulled a tractor and two wagons for 200 miles,” stated Lawrence proudly.

The trick to staying together for so many years? “You don’t talk to each other,” joked Avis.

Lawrence said they travelled around the world to see what it had to offer and worked as a strong partnership in their farm business.

They were active in farming for many years and Lawrence pulled his last crop in 2008, his 70th.