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State Winners for 2019 Longest Married Couple Project Announced by Worldwide Marriage Encounter

NEWS PROVIDED BY
Worldwide Marriage Encounter
June 6, 2019
 
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., June 6, 2019 /Christian Newswire/ -- The 2019 state winners of the ninth annual Longest Married Couple Project, sponsored by Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WWME), the original faith-based marriage enrichment program in this country, were announced today.

"As we enter the month of June and what is traditionally known as National Marriage Month, it is awesome to see the number of state winner couples who have been married 70 years or more," explained Tony & Sue Morris and Fr. Tom Ogg, the United States Leadership Team for WWME.

"As in previous years there were many, many nominations submitted," the Morris' explained, adding, "And, with those nominations we saw couples married 40 or 50 years being recognized by family and friends as they submitted their names to the Longest Married Couple Project."

The 2019 longest married couple in the United States, based on the nominations submitted, is DW & Willie Williams from Charlotte, NC. They have been married for over 81 years having made their marriage vows on August 17, 1937. The Morris' and Fr. Ogg will be honoring Mr. & Mrs. Williams at a special ceremony in their hometown of Charlotte at the First Mayfield Memorial Baptist Church on Saturday, June 15th.

The WWME leadership team noted that there were 35 state winners who have been married 70 plus years.

As in previous years of the LMC project, which is in its 9th year, individual state winners will be recognized and honored by couples involved with Worldwide Marriage Encounter during the month of June, or at a time convenient for the winning state couple and their families.

Winners of the project are automatically made members of the Worldwide Marriage Encounter Longest Married Couple Project Alumni group. Couples cannot succeed themselves each year as either national or state winners, thus giving an opportunity to honor other longest married couples across the country.

The Morris' also pointed out that the project is based on nominations received from Feb. 14th to May 14th this year. They also said there were no nominations this year from two states, Nevada and Utah.

The list of the 2018 state winners along with their hometowns and wedding dates are as follows:

    Alabama
    James & Gloria Albright  
    Talladega, AL
    June 21, 1950 - 68 years

    Alaska
    Deacon Bill & Sharon Frost
    Wasilla, AK
    June 9, 1956 - 63 years

    Arizona
    Don & Audrey Schmit
    Scottsdale, AZ
    May 10, 1949 - 70 years

    Arkansas
    Cleovis & Arwilda Whiteside
    White Hall, AR
    July 24, 1939 - 79 years

    California
    Bill & Betty Nelson
    Vista, CA
    Aug 27, 1952 - 66 years

    Colorado
    Archie & Joyce Lickers
    Grand Junction, CO
    April 17, 1954 - 65 years

    Connecticut
    Fernand & Pauline Nadeau
    East Hartford, CT
    July 19, 1947 - 71 years

    Delaware
    Joseph & Joan Barba
    Wilmington, DE
    Oct 5, 1957 - 61 years

    Florida
    Charles & Emily Pearce
    Viera, FL
    Nov 26, 1943 - 75 years

    Georgia
    Jimmy & Rosalyn Carter
    Plains, GA
    July 7, 1946 - 72 years

    Hawaii
    Victor Jr & Billie Martino
    Kihei, Maui, HI
    Feb 6, 1943 - 76 years

    Idaho
    Keith & Dorothy Elliott
    Nampa, ID
    Nov 10, 1946 - 72 years

    Illinois
    Eugene & Delores Ehrhard
    Columbia, IL
    Mar 16, 1946 - 73 years

    Indiana
    Ray D & Bettie A Myers
    Waveland, IN
    Feb 26, 1944 - 75 years

    Iowa
    Norbert & Marie Hammes
    Fairfield, IA
    Nov 28, 1940 - 78 years

    Kansas
    Leonard & Maxine Zerr
    Quinter, KS
    Oct 7, 1947 - 71 years

    Kentucky
    James & Ann Hartman
    Louisville, KY
    June 7, 1947 - 71 years

    Louisiana
    Roy & Gloria Gibbens
    St. Gabriel, LA
    Oct 18, 1947 - 71 years

    Maine
    Alexander & Dorothy Pesce
    Windham, ME
    July 14, 1951 - 71 years

    Maryland
    Bill & Amee McCarthy
    Elkton, MD
    Nov 25, 1941 - 77 years

    Massachusetts
    Fernand & Madeline Mederios
    Taunton, MA
    Oct 5, 1946 - 72 years

    Michigan
    Ernest & Elizabeth Harbin
    Flushing, MI
    May 22, 1946 - 73 years

    Minnesota
    Paul & Julia Sersha
    Virginia, MN
    April 7, 1943 - 76 years

    Mississippi
    Robert & Norma Jean Wendt
    Oxford, MS
    April 10, 1946 - 73 years

    Missouri
    Paul & Lucy Sprenger
    O'Fallon, MO
    May 16, 1943 - 76 years

    Montana
    Darrell & Dorothy Brown
    Missoula, MT
    Nov 11, 1951 - 67 years

    Nebraska
    Bob & Alice Cruise
    Ravenna, NE
    June 15, 1941 - 77 years

    New Hampshire
    James & Josephine Marchi
    Franklin, NH
    June 21, 1947 - 71 years

    New Jersey
    Lenny & Angie McGinley
    Union, NJ
    Feb 12, 1956 - 63 years

    New Mexico
    Victor & Evelyn Graham
    Albuquerque, NM
    July 19, 1942 - 76 years

    New York
    Barry Jr & Edna Sparks
    Watervliet, NY
    April 8, 1949 - 70 years

    North Carolina
    Stephan & Peggy Melillo
    Garner, NC
    July 4, 1948 - 70 years

    North Dakota
    Leo & Martha Jahner
    Bismarck, ND
    Oct 13, 1947 - 71 years

    Ohio
    Don & Shirley Wiegele
    Cincinnati, OH
    Nov 29, 1947 - 71 years

    Oklahoma
    Eddie & Norma Chambers
    Midwest City, OK
    Jan 25, 1941 - 78 years

    Oregon
    Donald & Clara Parquet
    McMinnville, OR
    Oct 23, 1943 - 75 years

    Pennsylvania
    Gordon & Marge Griffey
    West Springfield, PA
    June 26, 1948 - 70 years

    Rhode Island
    Richard & Rosemary Dujardin
    Providence, RI
    July 21, 1968 - 50 years

    South Carolina
    Reggie & Anne Salisbury
    Summerville, SC
    July 19, 1947 - 71 years

    South Dakota
    John & Joyce Mechtenberg
    Parkton, SD
    June 30, 1947 - 71 years

    Tennessee
    Joe & Barbara Nicolosi
    Franklin, TN
    June 26, 1953 - 65 years

    Texas
    John Thomas & Gloria Faith Bates
    Dallas, TX
    July 2, 1955 - 63 years

    Vermont
    Lawrence & Dorothy O'Rourke
    Woodstock, VT
    Oct 18, 1947 - 71 years

    Virginia
    A J & Lillie Reeves
    Rocky Mount, VA
    Jan 25, 1941 - 78 years

    Washington
    Allen & Bonnie Hollett
    Gig Harbor, WA
    Jan 30, 1943 - 76 years

    West Virginia
    Edward & Pauline Bernatowicz
    Kingwood, WV
    Feb 14, 1953 - 66 years

    Wisconsin
    Donald & Elaine Gibson
    Oshkosh, WI
    May 16, 1953 - 66 years

    Wyoming
    Lou & Mary Lou Montoya
    Wheatland, WY
    Nov 26, 1949 - 69 years

Worldwide Marriage Encounter has been offering weekend experiences for over 50 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 facilities where the couples return to their homes in the evenings. WWME has a presence in almost 100 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 contact the WWME Office at (909) 863-9963.


SOURCE Worldwide Marriage Encounter

CONTACT: Dick & Diane Baumbach, 321-544-3440, dickanddiane66@bellsouth.net, dick.diane.baumbach@wwme.org

Related Links

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