On Feb. 13, 1956, a young Marine and his bride slipped away to Yuma, Ariz., to be married. They had met just three months before at a Serviceman’s Dance at the YWCA in Santa Ana, Calif. It was the only time that either had been to the dance. Despite friends’ and neighbors’ dire predictions that “it won’t last a year,” the couple is celebrating 60 years of marriage.

Loren served 22 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. When he retired from the service in 1975, they moved from Hawaii to Washington state. He went to work for Reinell Boat Company and later the Bayliner Boat Company. He also worked as a rural route mail carrier in Everett, Wash.

In 1983 they moved to Eastern Oregon and he delivered rural route mail in Hermiston and operated a small family cattle ranch. Beverly worked as an RN at Good Shepherd Hospital for 27 years. Now both are retired and they are enjoying travel and hobbies as well as their eight grandchildren.

They have three children: Debbie Pugh (Pete) of Moses Lake, Wash., Sandra VanDyke (Terry) of Arlington, Wash., and Don Stoddard (Marie) of Roseburg, Ore.

No anniversary celebration is planned, but they are looking forward to a cruise later this year to celebrate this important event.