How to Stay Together for Sixty Years

KEOKUK COUNTY – The day this paper comes out, Feb. 14, is Valentine’ Day. In honor of the holiday, the News-Review spoke to several local couples with decades long marriages and asked them about their relationships.

Wayne and Judy Frank, of Sigourney, were married in 1964. This year, they will have their sixtieth anniversary. The pair met while working in Mason City and got married while Wayne was attending Iowa State. “We were young and looking for companionship,” said Wayne.

Both Wayne and Judy grew up on farms, Wayne on an 80-acre farm in Eagle Grove and Judy on a small farm near Missouri. The pair spent 45 years farming after moving to Sigourney in 1969. 

“It was love at first sight, if you want to say that. I think we had some mutual things that kind of brought us together. I think in the back of both our minds we wanted to farm someday...and we had a chance to farm when we moved to Sigourney,” said Judy. “We both love sports, and Wayne was an avid motorcycle rider back then. And I guess I kind of fell in love with motorcycle riding because he likes it...The night before we got married, Wayne raced in a motorcycle race somewhere and my dad was afraid he was gonna get hurt or kill himself.”

Ann and Richard Kerkove grew up in Sigourney and were high school sweethearts. They have been married for 67 years and spent their life as farmers. “I thank God for our relationship every day,” said Ann.

“And I thank him that we’ve been together every day,” added Richard.

Bob and Gloria Buckner have been married for 63 years. They first met while both of them were serving in the Air Force and were stationed at a base in Omaha Nebraska. After leaving the service, they worked together at a grocery store they owned in North English. “It’s kinda hard for a husband and wife to work together and live together and everything else, but we did it for 15-20 years, something like that, and got along fine,” said Bob.

The News-Review asked the couples how they had managed to keep together for so many years. “I have a husband that if I spout out too much, he just doesn’t answer me and leaves me alone,” said Judy Frank. “Opposites attract. I’m the one that likes to talk and Wayne is the silent one.”

“We have our differences sometimes, but most of the time we get along just fine,” said Richard Kerkove.

“When we got married, divorce wasn’t a thought. We knew it was for life. That was the plan,” said Ann Kerkove. “We didn’t go into it thinking, if we didn’t like it, we’d just split.”

“You got to work together. There’s gonna be arguments, there’s gonna be times when one person gets mad at the other for something, but you try to speak it out. Work it out. Make up and let it go and everything is fine,” said Bob Buckner.

“One of the important things is to learn to laugh at each other and with each other,” said Gloria Buckner. “It’s nice when you can joke around and not get mad at each other.

The couples were also asked what they loved about each other. “I would say, as far as me to her, her understanding and mild manner. She has a heart to really appreciate nature and the beauty of it,” said Bob Buckner.

“What I love about him is his patience, kindness, and love,” added his wife Gloria.

“Understanding, sympathy...we enjoy doing the same things...It just takes two to make a marriage and settle differences before you go to bed at night,” said Judy Frank.

“I just love being together. Being alone kind of makes me fearful,” said Ann Kerkove. “He’s good, he’s kind, and he’s always been good to me. He loves me.

“It’s been a joy to be married this many years,” said Richard Kerkove. “And we thank the lord that we’ve been able to have this time together. It wasn’t at all in our plans to get divorced. We just knew that we were gonna tough out our tough times and love each other, be kind to each other.”