"The number of years many of these couples are married is just awesome," explained Scott and Karen Seaborn, the United States Leadership Team for WWME.  The Seaborns serve with Fr. Tom Griffith, SVD, as the U.S. Ecclesial Team.

"There were 312 nominations from all 50 states," the Seaborns explained, adding, "There were three couples married 80 years or longer nominated, along with 100 couples married 70 to 79 years and 155 couples married 60 to 69 years.  What a testament to having a commitment to a long marriage!"

The longest married couple in the United States, based on the nominations submitted, is Marshall and Winnie Kuykendall of Lordsburg, NM.  They will celebrate their 82 anniversary on Feb. 14, 2011.  The Seaborns will be traveling to the Kuykendalls hometown on Feb. 12th to honor them at a special ceremony.

Individual state winners will be recognized and honored by couples involved with Worldwide Marriage Encounter, all across the country, over the Valentine's weekend.

The list of state winners and their hometowns are as follows:

• Alaska -- 68 years - Ernie & Ruth Brooking, Anchorage AK;
   
• Alabama -- 70 years - Mr. & Mrs. Gerald J. Guillot, Sr., Chickasaw AL;
   
• Arkansas -- 70 years - Grady & Pauline Starr, Beebe AR;
   
• Arizona -- 62 years - Vivian and Rodulfo Rodriguera, Phoenix AZ;
   
• California -- 74 years - GK and Mildred Patterson, Strathmore CA;
   
• Colorado -- 67 years - Jean & Harvey Rusk, Westcliffe CO;
   
• Connecticut -- 71 years - Herman & Lucille DiPalma, New London CT;
   
• Delaware -- 71 years - Clinton & Mary Searl, Wilmington DE;
   
• Florida -- 70 years - Noah & Vernell Lockley, Apalachicola FL;
   
• Georgia -- 64 years - Dick & Gerry Plummer, Augusta GA;
   
• Hawaii -- 80 years - Ivan & Doris Nishimura, Oahu HI;
   
• Iowa -- 70 years -Emil & Dorothy Votroubek, Cedar Rapids IA;
   
• Idaho -- 72 years - Cody & Eula Abbott, Lewiston ID;
   
• Illinois -- 71 years - Willis & Mary Hamilton, Elmhurst IL;
   
• Indiana -- 71 years -William & Rita Babbitt, Beech Grove IN;
   
• Kansas -- 72 years -Frank & Lorena Brunell, Aurora KS;
   
• Kentucky -- 75 years - Leon & Mae Carter, Mayfield KY;
   
• Louisiana -- 80 years -Ralph & Dorothy Richards, Slidell LA;
   
• Massachusetts -- 63 years - Stuart & Dorothy Fisk, Russell MA;
   
• Maryland -- 65 years - Michael & Clara O'Hopp, Silver Spring MD;
   
• Maine -- 67 years - George & Lucile Stetson, Pitston ME;
   
• Michigan -- 70 years - Norm and Beulah Warner, Pigeon MI;
   
• Minnesota -- 73 years - Anthony & Rose Ament, St. Cloud MN;
   
• Missouri -- 74 years -Vincent & Marie Sanfilippo, St Louis MO;
   
• Mississippi -- 70 years - Thomas & Helen Haffey, Lexington MS;
   
• Montana -- 73 years - Steve and Ethel Wright, Great Falls MT;
   
• North Carolina -- 72 years - Floyd & Edna Waldroup, Hot Springs NC;
   
• North Dakota -- 71 years - Tony & Frances Hopfaus, Bismark ND;
   
• Nebraska -- 69 years - Harold & Neva Sullivan, Cortland NE;
   
• New Hampshire -- 72 years - Richmond & Geraldine Trainor, Littleton NH;
   
• New Jersey -- 73 years - Jack & Antonia Di Rienzo, Florence NJ;
   
• New Mexico -- 76 years - Alex & Tessie Franzoy, Salem NM;
   
• Nevada -- 69 years - Harold & Edith Cohen, Henderson NV;
   
• New York -- 70 years - Richard and Eletha Pestke, Hilton NY;
   
• Ohio -- 73 years - Karl & Isabelle Schumm, Convoy OH;
   
• Oklahoma -- 69 years - Charles & Mildred McGregor, Edmond OK;
   
• Oregon -- 74 years -Kal & Edna Horine, Portland OR;
   
• Pennsylvania -- 75 years - Charles & Mary Ventrello, Erie PA;
   
• Rhode Island -- 67 years - Rosella & Donat Laliberte, Central Falls RI (deceased);
   
• South Carolina -- 67 years - Marie & Michael Munoz, Goose Creek SC;
   
• South Dakota -- 54 years -James & Eileen Weisbeck, Harreid SD;
   
• Tennessee -- 69 years - William & Pansy McNabb, Unicoi TN;
   
• Texas -- 77 years - Ross & Clarabelle Snodgrass, Kerrville TX;
   
• Utah -- 49 years - Al & Helen Averill, Ephram UT;
   
• Virginia -- 70 years - Harry & Frances Ketcham, Annandale VA;
   
• Vermont -- 62 years - Arthur & Theresa Audette, Williston VT;
   
• Washington -- 70 years -Donald & Eileen Walter, Vancouver WA;
   
• Wisconsin -- 70 years - Lawrence & Edna Bremer, Bloomer WI;
   
• West Virginia -- 80 years - Paul & Ellenor Whiteman, Bridgeport WV and
   
• Wyoming -- 74 years - Victor & Matilda Schaff, Thermopolis WY

Worldwide Marriage Encounter has been offering weekend experiences for over 42 years and is considered the original faith-based marriage enrichment program.  The programs are continually updated to keep abreast of changes in society, and WWME now offers evening and half-day programs that are presented at parishes and other church facilities.  The weekend program, traditionally presented as an overnight experience at a hotel or retreat center, can also be presented at the parish where the couples return to their homes in the evenings.   WWME has a presence in over 90 countries, which makes it the largest pro-marriage movement in the world.  In North America, the WWME programs are presented in English, Spanish, French, and Korean languages.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter offers married couples the opportunity to spend time together away from the busyness of the world to focus on each other.  It offers tools for building and maintaining a strong, Christian marriage in today's world.  To learn more about the Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekends online, go to wwme.org , or you can call 1-800-795-LOVE (English) and 1-800-599-AMOR (Spanish), or contact the WWME Office at (909) 863-9963.