Concordia Couples Share Proposal Stories for Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentine’s Day from Concordia! Is there anything more encouraging to lovebirds worldwide than to hear about those inspirational couples who have been married for 50+ years? All of our resident couples have their own special love stories, and we thought it would be sweet to celebrate Valentine’s Day by sharing the beginning of eight of them – their proposal stories. Enjoy!

John and Janet F., Concordia of Cranberry, married 54 years.
“I put a ring in the glove box of the car, and told Janet to open it. She did and quickly slammed it shut in shock!”

Pat and Catherine L., Concordia at Ridgewood Place, married 60 years.
(Pictured here) “On Christmas Eve in 1953, we were sitting in the car, and he gave me a little box wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper with a bow – it was just a little thing. He told me to open it, and when I did it was a diamond. He asked if I knew what it meant. I asked him the same question, and we just nodded our heads, and then we knew.”

Paul and Carol W., Concordia at Ridgewood Place, married 64 years.
“I first met him over the phone when my friend in Etna gave him my number, and then we got engaged over the phone as well! After we had dated for a while, he called and said, ‘Go to Sharpsburg to my mother’s, get some money and buy a ring.’ He was stationed in Portsmouth, Virginia with the Coast Guard at the time.”

Bill and Dorothy S., Concordia of Cranberry, married 59 years.
“I can’t recall how I proposed, but here’s my version (Bill): I ran into Dorothy, who had been taking karate classes. She wanted to show me how she had gotten a new belt, so she karate chopped and kicked me until I was on my knees and had no other option but to propose!”

Paul and Betty W., Concordia at the Orchard, married 68 years.
“We always knew we were going to,” the couple said. “We rode on a bike down to the bridge, and we talked about getting married,” Betty said. Paul continued: “We discussed it, got married and it has lasted and lasted and lasted.”

Bob and Ellen R., Concordia at Sumner, married 69 years.
“He didn’t propose. He was stationed up in Rhode Island with the Navy Seabees, and it was Christmastime. He didn’t have any money, but he bought a diamond and had his parents give it to me. I talked to him on the phone later and told him how surprised I was. I had no idea he was going to propose – I thought maybe he was going to send me a box of candy!”

Earl and Helen H., Concordia of the South Hills, married 64 years.
“It was a mutual decision. We had been neighbors all our lives and went through grade school and high school together. We have three sons, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. We have lived together forevermore.”

Stan and Lois R., Concordia at Sumner, married 68 years.
“We’d been dating for about a year, and we were sitting in her living room. I told her, ‘I’m in love with you, and I think you love me.’ She nodded her head yes. I said, ‘I’d like you to marry me.’ I pulled a ring out of my pocket and that was it. It was the start of a very wonderful romance.”

Do you have a good proposal story? Tell it by leaving a comment below or on our Facebook page!

Love in itself is a precious gift, but sometimes it can be difficult to find the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day. This year, instead of the usual chocolate or flowers, consider giving a gift to Concordia Lutheran Ministries in honor of your loved one. Each year, we serve over 20,000 people, their families and the community through our faith-based care, and your Valentine’s gift can help us to continue serving our neighbors and loved ones.

To contribute to Concordia for Valentine’s Day, please visit the Gift a Gift section of our website at give.concordialm.org, call the Concordia Lutheran Ministries Foundation at 724-352-1571, ext. 8291 or ext. 8363, or e-mail giving@concordialm.org. You can also message us through the Contact form on our website.