Penn Lines is marking a milestone this year — 60 years of sharing the stories of rural Pennsylvania. But as it turns out, we have plenty of company in the anniversary department.

After asking readers to tell us about couples who have been married 60 years or more, we heard about those who have built marriages across decades of work, family, change and all the ordinary days in between.

That kind of longevity is rare. According to the National Center for Family and Marriage Research at Bowling Green State University, only 8% of currently married couples reach their 50th anniversary, and just 2% make it to their 60th.

Researchers point to many reasons some marriages endure: strong communication, shared values and interests, commitment, emotional maturity — and, of course, the blessing of a long life.

Every long-married couple has a story. Here are a few.

Robert and Elizabeth Dolges — 72 years
United Electric Cooperative

Elizabeth Dolges was smitten from the start.

“I was in high school, and I happened to be looking out a window at the school when some guys from Northern Cambria were driving by,” she recalls of her first glimpse of Robert, the man who would become her husband. “It was love at first sight. I was 16 and he was a couple of years older.”

Not all of the years since July 24, 1954, were filled with happy moments, but she says “we always cared for each other enough to see us through the arguments.”

The pair have enjoyed spending time together, from hunting and fishing in the early days to more quiet times later. She also attributes their lengthy marriage to good health as they are now 89 and 91.

“We were always busy,” she says. “We don’t like to sit too long, and we ate a good diet and always got lots of exercise.”

The couple have eight children, 17 grandchildren, and 17 great-grandchildren, most of whom live in the area and help out as needed.

For many years, the couple has lived on the farm in Hastings, Pa., where Robert grew up. Early on, they milked cows and raised pigs and chickens. They ground their wheat to make flour and grew vegetables and fruit. Recently, relatives gave them a hothouse so they can continue to garden, although the pair limits it to what they can eat since Elizabeth has cut back on massive canning projects. Baking … well, that’s a different story.

“I like to bake,” she says. “I just baked four pans of apple dumplings.”
 

Byron and Delma Over — 71 years
New Enterprise Rural Electric Cooperative

Byron Over grew up on the farm north of Woodbury, where he and Delma, originally from New Enterprise, have lived for many years. The couple married Feb. 12, 1955, after meeting at a square dance in Loysburg.

The couple, now 91 and 96, were married at Koontz Church of the Brethren in New Enterprise. She wore
white lace, her redesigned high school prom dress. For
60 years after that, they operated their dairy farm. In between, they raised two daughters and welcomed four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

“We were lucky,” Delma says. “We worked together really well. I can’t say we never had a fight. We argued a little, but not often. He’s not one to argue. We just understood each other.”

They spent a lot of time together, as they both milked cows, planted and harvested crops, and baled hay. They milked at 5 a.m. and again every evening, each daily shift taking about three hours. She also cooked for the family and hired hands.

“Maybe we were just too busy or too tired to argue,” she says with a laugh.

Harold and Marjorie Brown — 70 years
Tri-County Rural Electric Cooperative

Harold and Marjorie Brown first crossed paths at the Tioga County Fair, where both were showing dairy cattle — an appropriate beginning for a couple who would go on to build a life on Harold’s family farm near Liberty, Pa.

After they married on June 17, 1956, in Wellsboro, Marjorie arrived at the homestead, but she wasn’t alone: Her cattle were in tow.

That farm is now a Centennial Farm, having remained in the same family for at least 100 years. Over the decades, the Browns built a life there that went well beyond the dairy barn. They grew crops, raised chickens and pigs, cut timber, and made maple syrup.

They had three children, and the Tioga County Fair became part of the family story again when one of their two surviving daughters met her husband there, too. The Browns also have two grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
 

Theodore and Donna Wingrove — 68 years
Somerset Rural Electric Cooperative

Donna Wingrove was a teenager working at the drug store in Connellsville, Pa., when a serviceman she had never met placed an unfamiliar order. However, what he really wanted was her name and address.

“He was only home for a couple of days before he went back,” she recalls, “but he had my address so he started writing and we just kept writing and writing.”

Ted completed his service in September 1958, and they were married a few weeks later on Nov. 27, Thanksgiving Day. She was 18 and he was 20. They lived in an 8-by-28-foot trailer until they outgrew it and built the house where they have lived since 1963. The couple have six children, 16 grandchildren and a dozen great-grandchildren.

They found a common bond over their love for automobiles, eventually opening Ted’s Transmission Service in Connellsville, where they both worked until they retired.
 

Herbert and Miriam Nachbar — 67 years
Valley Rural Electric Cooperative

Miriam Nachbar’s father had a rule: No child of his would get married before they were 23. But she and her boyfriend, Herbert, had other plans. She was 19 and he was 21 in 1959 when they drove to Cumberland, Md., where parental consent for underage marriages wasn’t required.

“We sent a telegram to everyone telling them we were married so they had to accept it,” she says.

Since then, their family of five has grown to include 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Both grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, but moved to Lancaster County in 1976. They have owned a seasonal residence near Shade Gap, which is served by Valley Rural Electric Cooperative (REC), for about 25 years. Originally a place for recreation, the cabin is now used primarily as a base for hunters in the family.

The couple’s secret to a happy marriage? “We have respect for each other,” Miriam says. “He is very thoughtful. He is just a good guy, and I wanted to keep him for sure.”

She adds with a laugh, “I am a good cook, so I think that’s why he kept me.”

In addition to priding herself on being a good cook, she also loves to sew and quilt. Herbert works on Wednesday mornings at an auto auction and collects antique vehicles. They like to travel and enjoy going to thrift shops. They also own five rental properties that keep them busy.

Robert and Frankleen Gibson Sr. — 62 years
Valley Rural Electric Cooperative

With grandfathers in a feud reminiscent of the Hatfields and McCoys, as teenagers, Bob and Frankleen Gibson had to work harder than most to get approval for their wedding.

She was 16 and he was 17 when they tied the knot on June 20, 1964. He was from Grantville, Pa., and she was from nearby Annville in Lebanon County. 

The couple met at the roller rink and dated for a year before deciding to marry. The ceremony was simple: A friend gave Frankleen a white dress along with a beautiful wedding cake. An aunt bought her a wedding hat and shoes. Other family members, embroiled in the feud, refused to acknowledge the union.

Frankleen dropped out of high school, and Bob started a full-time job to support them. When their two sons were young, they worked opposite shifts at Hershey Foods so they could take care of them. Both retired in 2004 after 37 years of service. In addition to their sons, they have two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, who live near them in Lebanon County. The Gibsons also own a seasonal residence near Huntingdon, served by Valley REC, where the family gathers to hunt and relax.

The couple view their marriage as a blessing. Bob says his wife is the person who has had the most influence over him, noting she changed his life significantly. As the years progressed, feuding family members saw their devotion to each other and began accepting the decades-long union, too.

Although their marriage has been successful, the Gibsons see some disadvantages to marrying so young.

“We lived within our means, although we struggled for a while,” Frankleen says. “And when we worked different shifts, sometimes we didn’t see each other much except passing in the hallway. It involved a lot of coordination.

“But if you want to make a go of it, and you are both working toward the same goal,” she adds, “it can work out.”

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Editor’s note: Penn Lines had more than 100 cooperative couples reach out to us for this story. While we couldn’t recognize them all, we do recognize the love and dedication it’s taken to build a successful decades-long marriage. Happy anniversary to all Penn Lines readers who are celebrating
60-plus years along with the magazine.

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