Denver Catholic

4 JULY 13-26, 2019 | DENVER CATHOLIC Cover Story FREE ESTIMATES •INSURANCE CLAIMS •EXPERT REPAIR WORK •SEAMLESS ALUMINUM GUTTERS •LICENSED AND INSURED •SPECIAL SENIOR CITIZEN DISCOUNTS 2221 GRAY STREET, EDGEWATER, CO 80214 www.millsroofingcompany.com 303-232-0324 A Name You Can Trust & Afford For Over 40 Years Turn your Clunker into Cash! Go to svdpUSAcars.com Or call 1-800-322-8284 e Society of St. Vincent de Paul has a quick and easy way to turn your unwanted car, truck or boat into cash and help those in need. Alice and Bruce, now 91 and 92, respectively, cele- brated their 70th wedding anniversary June 18 with a marriage blessing by Denver Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila. Sitting in Broomfield at their kitchen table — the focal point for family gath- erings — Alice and Bruce reflected on their decades together, starting with their proposal story, which took place a few years after Bruce finished serving in the U.S. Navy following the war. "He asked my father, and of course, my mother liked him because he was a buddy of Wally's," Alice said. "We went to Belle Isle, which is an island in Detroit. He kind of asked me before, but this was o¢cial. You know, those things are so long ago you can hardly remember." What they can easily remember are the things that have remained most important throughout the years: their shared Catholic faith, devotion to family, and the certainty that to have fun together is the key to a happy life. "We've been blessed by having our faith," Bruce said. "There's no arguing about what we're going to be doing as far as our faith goes, we're in perfect harmony there. That has a lot to do with our continued marriage." Even during their courtship in the late 1940s, faith was central. "We'd stop at church, we'd go to con- fession, and then we'd go dancing," Alice said. "Our faith is the mainstay of our marriage. It was based on religion when we met, and we have continued. I guess it's one habit we haven't broken yet." They were married in Detroit in 1949 and stayed there for nearly 20 years before moving to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. But with four children grown, marrying, and having their own children, it even- tually became clear that Bruce and Alice had to follow their family to Colorado. "One day we were sitting out on the drive, and I said, 'What are we doing here? We should be enjoying our grand- children and children.' So that's what we did," Bruce said. That was in 1986, and now Bruce and Alice frequently spend time with their 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren — from age 43 to six months — who live nearby. Bruce and Alice are careful to not o˜er advice based on their years of marriage to those who aren't seeking it. "We try to give them a good exam- ple, which we've done all of our lives and they go from there. Everyone's got their own opinions that the Good Lord gave them, and everybody has a choice," Bruce said. During the wedding of one of their « Couple married 70 years: 'Keep the faith, that's number one' Faith has a been a constant for Bruce and Alice since their wedding day in 1949. Now, 70 years later, they remain ever grateful. "It's been fun. We've been very, very blessed with our health," Alice said. "We're not doing anything other than praying real hard every day and every night." PHOTOS BY ANYA SEMENOFF Catholic Counseling & Therapy 500 Coffman St. Suite 207, Longmont 7350 E Progress Pl. Suite 100, Greenwood Village 5945 Ward Rd. Suite 100, Arvada 303-422-1567 . www.mounttaborcounseling.com We help facilitate healing for Individuals & Couples through cooperation with the Holy Spirit and fidelity to Catholic teaching

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