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Authors Columns Newsletters Podcasts Videos * JOIN VIP * LOGIN * MY ACCOUNT Account Settings Newsletter Subscriptions Comment Settings Log Out * MY ACCOUNT Account Settings Newsletter Subscriptions Comment Settings Log Out LOGIN JOIN VIP * Authors * Columns * Videos * Podcasts * -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contact Us Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy California – Do Not Sell (ccpa) California - CCPA Notice * Feel-Good Friday: St. Louis Centenarians Celebrate 80 Years of Marriage * JOIN VIP * LOGIN Advertisement FEEL-GOOD FRIDAY: ST. LOUIS CENTENARIANS CELEBRATE 80 YEARS OF MARRIAGE By Jennifer Oliver O'Connell | 9:04 PM on January 05, 2024 The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of RedState.com. Rick Bowmer It's the New Year, so ads for anti-aging and weight loss are hot and heavy on social media. If I had a dollar for the number of times I've seen the ad for that Keto gummy that singer Kelly Clarkson supposedly used to lose weight (not likely), I'd be able to buy a new smartphone. Advertisement But I digress. While age is just a number, longevity is a rare prize. While it is some parts genetic and some parts lifestyle, a huge part of living a long life is having love and purpose that fuels that life. The beauty of a long and fulfilled life is the subject of this first Feel Good Friday of 2024. > New Year's Day is special for a lot of people but especially so for a couple > celebrating 80 years of marriage together. > > Andrew and Bertha Kowalczyk were married in 1944. They had six children > together, along with 31 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The Fenton > couple, now aged 103 and 102 respectively, celebrated their 80th wedding > anniversary on Monday with friends and family. Length of years is one thing. Longevity in marriage, especially a first-time marriage, is quite remarkable. You can see the power of this in three generations of family who not only love, respect, and care for their matriarch and patriarch, but who are excited to come together to celebrate this milestone. As storied as the Kowalczyks lengthy marriage is, the tale of their union is also one for the books. The Kowalczyks' son David gave a detailed account to a local blogger: > While attending the University of New Hampshire in 1942, Andrew Kowalczyk, now > 103, and Bertha "Bunny" Burnham, 102, were randomly paired up during a dance. > Little did they know, but pulling the number 23 from a raffle would turn out > to be their own life lottery win. [...] > > Andrew and Bertha's son, Dave Kowalczyk, tells CafeMom his mom was a freshman > and his dad a senior in September 1942 when they met at a dorm dance. The > couple began getting to know each other and knew there was something special. > Bertha accompanied Andrew to his military ball in the fall of 1942, and she > took him home to meet her parents that spring. > > "In May of 1943 Bertha brought Andrew to her home in Bristol, New Hampshire, > for the weekend. Bertha was impressed at how he played with her sister's > infant. This was a very important test for Bertha because she wanted to have > many children," Dave explained. Advertisement Bunny was a wise young woman, and apparently this test paid off. The blessing of their large family hinged on this moment, and Andrew met it. That sealed the deal for Bunny. > Love couldn't wait, though. "Bertha wanted to get married on New Year's Day > because she thought this would be a great way to start off the year," Dave > says. > > The couple married in a small ceremony in front of 50 close family and friends > on a frigid New Year's Day, with a reception at Bertha's mother's home > following the wedding. Bertha, majoring in home economics, made her wedding > dress and carried white roses. The couple dined on small sandwiches and a > tiered fruit cake. How many couples spend tens of thousands on the wedding of the century, only to divorce five years later? Andrew and Bunny's simple ceremony, blessed by their community, is more memorable and meaningful because they are still together eight decades later. But there's a twist: Andrew Kowalcyzk had to immediately report for duty. There was a war going on, after all. > "My father had to take leave, and he arrived a couple hours before the wedding > took place. And he had gotten leave from his officer, and he said he had to be > back on Jan. 1. but he said, 'Well, I'm getting married.' And he said, 'Well, > we'll make it Jan. 3.'" The rest, is true history. Andrew and Bunny Kowalcyzk's lovely celebration was held at Cape Albeon Lakeside Retirement Living, where the couple now lives. The video below is a sweet news segment highlighting their story. Advertisement We should all be so blessed to know not only length of years but a rich legacy of love, commitment, and family. Share Post Jennifer Oliver O'Connell (As the Girl Turns) is a contributor at Redstate and other publications. Jennifer writes on Politics and Pop Culture, with occasional detours into Reinvention, Yoga, and Food. You can read more about Jennifer's world at her As the Girl Turns website. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Telegram. Story leads: info@asthegirlturns.com. Read more by Jennifer Oliver O'Connell Tags: AGE ELDERLY MARRIAGE FEEL GOOD FRIDAY RECOMMENDED Catherine Herridge Posts Important Update on CBS' Seizure of Her Files Nick Arama Three Shootings in Ten Days That Derail All the Media Narratives on Gun Incidents Brad Slager Biden Mocked for Holding Pelosi's Hand in Tarmac Shuffle, Gets Confused About Navalny's Widow Nick Arama College Clobbers Anti-Fatness 'Oppression' While the 'Ableist' Practice of Grading Gets Lipoed Alex Parker Dems Are Desperate to Praise Biden but What They're Latching on to Now Is Truly Hilarious Nick Arama Mike Johnson Goes Gloves Off on Joe Biden After Report He's Considering Executive Action on Border Crisis Sister Toldjah JOIN THE CONVERSATION AS A VIP MEMBER Login to Leave a Comment TRENDING ON REDSTATE VIDEOS Notice What's Missing From Colorado Democrats’ Plans to Reduce Violent Crime Playback speedNormal Quality- Playback speed 0.25 0.5 0.75 Normal 1.25 1.5 1.75 2 00:00 / 05:19 LIVE Advertisement Trending 1 Catherine Herridge Posts Important Update on CBS' Seizure of Her Files 2 Three Shootings in Ten Days That Derail All the Media Narratives on Gun Incidents 3 Biden Mocked for Holding Pelosi's Hand in Tarmac Shuffle, Gets Confused About Navalny's Widow 4 College Clobbers Anti-Fatness 'Oppression' While the 'Ableist' Practice of Grading Gets Lipoed 5 Dems Are Desperate to Praise Biden but What They're Latching on to Now Is Truly Hilarious A Bunch of Anti-Trump Ninnies Are Worried They'll Have to Flee the Country if Trump Wins Joe Cunningham Mike Johnson Goes Gloves Off on Joe Biden After Report He's Considering Executive Action on Border Crisis Sister Toldjah Former Speaker Paul Ryan Predictably Clobbers Trump, 'Trump Populism' Mike Miller Wellness Check on Leftists After the NY Times Does the Unthinkable in Finally Fact Checking Joe Biden Sister Toldjah CBS Blasted for Seizing Catherine Herridge's Files, 'Information From Privileged Sources' After Firing Mike Miller The Mainstream Media Is Dying Levon Satamian Advertisement TRENDING ON TOWNHALL MEDIA Journalist Explains Why Trump-Russia Collusion Nonsense Continues to Linger in the News Cycle Shocking News: Matt Walsh Uncovers Another Woke Google Executive Behind Gemini AI Catherine Herridge Posts Important Update on CBS' Seizure of Her Files RNC Security Officer Who First Responded to J6 Pipe Bomb Claims Official Story 'Makes No Sense' Copyright Redstate.com/Salem Media. 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