Our parents were high school sweethearts, marrying on August 18th, 1949. Over the last 74 years, they have traveled extensively, visiting Norway on five occasions, where they got to know aunts, uncles, and cousins. As the 12th child of Norwegian immigrants, Mom spoke fluent Norwegian. In our early days, we had the privilege of growing up on a farm. Once Dad retired as Barron County Zoning Administrator, they escaped Wisconsin winters in Apache Junction, AZ.

Music has always been a big part of their lives. Mom was a church organist for 40 years, and singing was just part of our lives. They both have had wonderful hobbies. Mom is still rosemaling at age 94 and Dad is a skilled carver and a fisherman. They’ve also been known to be quite the card players…whether euchre or Uno with the grandkids, they are a force to be reckoned with!

Family has always been front and center. They have three children, 6 grandchildren, and 9 great-grandchildren, to whom they are fondly known as “Granny and Gramps”!

Marriage Advice: There’s really no secret to having a happy married life. It boils down to love, trust, appreciation, and communication. We also had the privilege of having wonderful parents who lived lives of faith and gave us the right start.