State Winners for 2015 Longest Married Couple Project Announced by Worldwide Marriage Encounter
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., Feb. 9, 2015 /
Christian Newswire/ -- The 2015 state winners of the fifth annual Longest Married Couple Project, sponsored by Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WWME) , the original faith based marriage enrichment program in this country, were announced today.
"We are truly excited and amazed at the number of couples married 70 years or more and there were several with 60 plus years of marriage," explained Ron and Judy Pekny, the United States Leadership Team for WWME. The Peknys serve with Fr. Rocky Grimard as the U.S. Leadership Team.
"There were over 375 nominations submitted," the Peknys explained, adding, "And, this year we had couples married much shorter times who wanted to make the Longest Married Couple Project something they could focus on in their marriages for the future."
The 2015 longest married couple in the United States, based on the nominations submitted, is Dale & Alice Rockey of Olathe, KS. They are married over 81 years having made their marriage vows on Dec. 29, 1933. The Peknys honored Mr. & Mrs. Rockey in a special ceremony in their hometown of Olathe at the Good Samaritan Society this past weekend.
As in previous years of the five year old project, individual state winners will be recognized and honored by couples involved with Worldwide Marriage Encounter over the Valentine's week and weekend.
This year one of the winning couples, specifically from Texas. is known to many – they are Former President George H.W. and Barbara Bush. They were nominated in early January 2015 just as they were celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary.
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 Peknys also pointed out that the project is based on nominations received from October 15th the previous year to January 10th of the current year. "This year another couple was nominated with a longer marriage, but the family declined the honor and asked that it be passed on," they said. "We honored that couples' request and went to Olathe to see the Rockeys and to honor them for their 81 years of marriage."
The Peknys also pointed out that there were no nominations this year from four states.
The list of the 2015 state winners and their hometowns and wedding dates are as follows:
Alabama -
James & Sara Kornegay Jr, January 29, 1944 70 years
Chelsea, AL
Alaska –
Gilbert & Sandra Cragen August 5, 1961 53 years
Anchorage, AK
Arizona –
Lloyd & Lorraine Tomac May 11, 1953 61 years
Tucson, AZ
Arkansas –
Edward & Louise Heinrichs November 28, 1944 70 years
Fort Smith, AR
California --
Louis & Marjorie Renaud August 10, 1942 72 years
Santa Barbara, CA
Colorado --
Paul & Dottie Craig June 18, 1940 74 years
Colorado Springs, CO
Connecticut --
Francis & Mary Santy August 19, 1940 74 years
Suffield, CT
Delaware --
Orville & Margaret Jenkins December 24, 1942 72 years
Delmar, DE
Florida --
Albert & Angela Cassettari. September 9, 1939 75 years
Nokomis, FL
Georgia --
John & Thelma Aitkens November 14, 1942 72 years
Jesup, GA
Hawaii --
Frank & Rosalie Tadda June 26, 1948 66 years
Mililani, HI
Illinois --
Joseph and Dorothy Nigrelli December 23, 1939 75 years
Geneva, IL
Indiana --
Doyte & Mary Kibbey January 1, 1937 78 years
Matthews, IN
Iowa --
Jim & Pearl Trebbien October 28, 1943 71 years
Milford, IA
Kansas --
Pat & Helen Olmsted December 27, 1943 71 years
Beattie, KS
Kentucky --
Agnes & James Macpherson December 27, 1941 73 years
Louisville, KY
Louisiana --
Bill & Corinne Barry January 28, 1950 64 years
Mandeville, LA
Maine --
Roland and Anita LaPointe September 6, 1948 66 years
Vassalboro, ME
Maryland --
Henry & Velma Wiseman May 8, 1936 78 years
Solomons, MD
Massachusetts --
Harry & Julia McGuire July 4, 1939 75 years
Plymouth MA
Michigan --
George & Evon Goscinski March 12. 1942 72 years
Elsie MI
Minnesota --
Herbert & Delores Riley August 30, 1941 73 years
Bemidji, MN
Missouri --
Martin & Vera Mosbauer June 24, 1939 75 years
Independence, MO
Mississippi --
Hubert & Marcella Langford September 2, 1943 71 years
Meridian, MS
Montana --
Robert & Agnes Cremer June 21, 1941 73 years
Miles City, MT
Nebraska--
Donald & Bethel Cunningham March 30, 1944 70 years
Fullerton, NE
Nevada --
Jim & Helen Freeman January 8, 1944 71 years
Yerington, NV
New Jersey --
Michael & Marie Zimbile November 7, 1943 71 years
Brick NJ
New Mexico --
Robert & Roma Lovato September 18, 1949 65 years
Artesia, NM
New York --
Walter & Babs Sonneborn December 21, 1941 73 years
Scarsdale, NY
North Carolina --
Daniel & Willie Williams August 17, 1937 77 years
Charlotte, N.C
Ohio --
Winton & Dolores Arnold February 1, 1935 79 years
Caledona, OH
Oklahoma --
Gordon & Pauline Spangler April 13, 1941 73 years
Chickasha, OK
Oregon --
Wendle & Joyce Thomas May 24, 1943 71 years
Corvallis, OR
Pennsylvania --
Paul & Flora Mellish June 9, 1938 76 years
East Brady, PA
Rhode Island --
Bill & Helen Shields July 30, 1955 59 years
Johnston, RI
South Carolina --
John & Jayne Walker September 1, 1945 69 years
Clover, SC
Tennessee --
Chet & Marilyn Wegenka November 18, 1950 64 years
Mt. Juilet, TN
Texas --
George H.W. and Barbara Bush January 6, 1945 70 years
College Park, TX
Utah --
Chester and Esther Memmott November 23, 1936 78 years
Scipio, Utah
Vermont --
Robert & Geraldine Sausville April 19, 1942 72 years
Bennington, VT
Virginia --
Theodore & Edna Korol May 31, 1940 74 years
Charlottesville, VA
Washington --
Clarence & Ruth Rogers June 18, 1939 75 years
Yakima, WA
West Virginia --
Thomas and Pauline Feorene October 23, 1948 66 years
Fairmont, WV
Wisconsin --
Herman & Madeline Neinas October 14, 1936 78 years
New Franken, WI
Wyoming --
Frank & Viola Stulc November 21, 1945 69 years
Basin, WY
Worldwide Marriage Encounter has been offering weekend experiences for over 45 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.
Media inquiries should be directed to:
Dick & Diane Baumbach
