NEWS PROVIDED BY
Worldwide Marriage Encounter
June 6, 2019
 
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., June 6, 2019 /Standard 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

wwme.org