Valentine’s Day is a time of love. A love that lasts 60 years is something very special that doesn’t happen very often anymore but is something to admire.
George and Frances Edelman were married on Dec. 22, 1947 and are still going strong.
The two met in Ponoka at the local Young People’s meeting in 1946 and attended church functions together, went skating and spent time together.
They both can’t remember what initially drew them to each other but George thinks it was because Frances wouldn’t have anything to do with him at first.
They courted each other for about six months but George knew marriage was in their future.
“I knew we were going to get married long before that but she didn’t,” said George. “I know that now young people feel like it has to be a bolt from the blue and you need to get star struck but at that time you were compatible and you got together.”
They were married in Alliance but first Frances had to say yes to the arrangement.
“I said no when he proposed,” said Frances.
“Perseverance wins,” George said triumphantly.
“He just asked me to get married and I said no,” she replied with a smile.
“There were no bands or anything. It wasn’t monumental I just asked her. You can’t give up the first time, perseverance pays off,” George answered.
The two were married and traveled to Peace River to farm and homestead. They had four children on the farm; Linda was born in 1956, Darrel in 1950, Wayne in 1948 and Sharon was born in 1952 and passed when she was five-years old. They now have five grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
They enjoy spending time with their children who have always been very supportive of them and who they have enjoyed a very good relationship with over the years.
George thinks that the most important things in life or the secret to staying together is their faith in God.
“When you are standing in front of the preacher you are making a vow to God that you are going to make this thing work, that is my best advice to anyone getting married, have faith in God,” said George.
They both agree that tolerance is also an important part in their relationship.
Frances says “It’s important that you know you are both not perfect.”
“I think that you realize that your mate is not perfect and you are a long way from perfect yourself and that is where the tolerance part comes in,” George concurs. “You got to realize that things are not always what they seem like on the surface.”
Over the years the family had their struggles as George worked as an auto mechanic and a farmer but George always made things special.
“When we were married for about five years he bought me a little thing about this big (she held out her soft, experienced hands and made a shape of a triangle) it was a small thing on a base. On the inside there was a little rose and he said there is my bouquet forever,” she said with a chuckle.
Even with the tight finances George stresses that they always thought of the money as both of theirs.
“As far as finances go it’s not my money or her money it is our money and we have always lived by that, there were probably times that I bought something she didn’t want me to but just because I went out and made the pay cheque and the wife took care of the kids doesn’t mean it is my money. It is an equal thing. We never did fight over money.”
Frances added that money wasn’t an issue they just did the best they could with what they had.
Love is something that radiates from both of them and George believes that love really is something that grows. It’s not an all-consuming passion it is something that you are comfortable with. He says that you don’t always have to be talking you can be just sitting with each other on the chesterfield or whatever and their closeness together is more important than anything.
George also encourages couples to not sweat the small stuff and sometimes the small stuff is the best part.
“I think love is something that you show in a lot of different ways. Respect is part of love and consideration. I cook what he likes,” said Frances.
“Some nights there are certain things on the table that I really like. One of her specialties is baking powder biscuits, nothing fancy but I like it. That to me shows me that she still loves me like she always did, it’s still there.”
A relationship like George and Frances’ shows that love is still out there and it still can last a long time. For these two they need each other.
George finishes with this, “I wouldn’t be with out her that’s the final thought ...I’m going to keep her, she’s a keeper.”