Love stories: Newlyweds share their joy at 75

There’s something appealing about newlyweds. The way they gaze into each other’s eyes. Their secret smiles and knowing chuckles.

Chet and Bonnie Nelson, married in February 2006, are typical of most newlyweds with one exception – they’re both 75 years old. Maybe that’s why their happiness seems even sweeter.

The couple first met at church in the fall of 1977. At the time they were both married to others. “I sang in the choir with Chet’s wife,” said Bonnie Nelson.

The two families lost touch for several years after Chet and his first wife, Doris, moved. They reconnected in July of 2004 at Bonnie’s husband’s funeral. “They came to the memorial service,” said Bonnie.

Sadly, just three months later Bonnie attended Doris’ service.

Chet’s wife had died suddenly while out of town at a ladies’ retreat.

They both struggled to adjust to single life. They attended Hamblen Park Presbyterian Church, which had a “Dinner for Six” program. Each month a group of six would meet at someone’s home and share a meal.

Chet invited Bonnie to join his group. When it was her turn to host Chet offered to barbecue salmon and brought a delicious corn casserole. “Here I was worried about Chet cooking when the group was going to meet at his house!” said Bonnie.

The way to a woman’s heart may well be through her stomach, because Bonnie still raves about the cherry cobbler Chet baked for another gathering.

“It was wonderful! I was so impressed that he could cook.” As his wife praised his culinary talents, Chet just smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

One night Bonnie recalled feeling especially low. Living alone after being married most of your life isn’t easy.

“I was feeling sorry for myself. I said, ‘I wish Chet would call,’ and just that instant the phone rang! It was Chet. He called and invited me to a concert.”

“I was nervous. A little hesitant,” said Chet. “But we were together at church activities and enjoyed talking and visiting. I knew she loved music, and so do I.”

That concert led to another, and soon they were an item. “She was fun and easy to be with,” he said.

Chet’s love of music and the fact that he could cook would be attractive to most women, but for Bonnie, it was laughter that sent her tumbling into love.

She’d invited Chet to dinner at her home. “I stopped at Albertson’s and saw some red roses and grabbed one,” he recalled. “I carefully filled a little plastic bag with water and took the rose to her house.” It was August and he wanted to make sure the flower stayed fresh.

He presented the rose, tenderly wrapped in green tissue to Bonnie. She was impressed with his thoughtfulness and immediately went to trim the rose and put it in a vase. As she told the story from their living room in Spokane Valley Bonnie giggled, and Chet began to chuckle.

“I couldn’t cut it!” she exclaimed. “I turned to Chet and said, ‘You don’t need to worry about this rose dying – it’s artificial!’ ” Well, that cracked them both up. “We were laughing and hanging on to each other ‘til the tears rolled down our cheeks.”

But when Bonnie turned the rose around she laughed even harder. There, printed in white letters, were the words “Happy Mother’s Day.”

“And that’s why I fell in love with him,” she said. “If you can laugh together, then life’s going to be great.”

Fittingly, she carried red roses on their wedding day. Bonnie is a member of a local choir, “Senior Serenaders.” She asked the group to sing “We’ve Only Just Begun” at their wedding. “We thought it would be fun because we’re old people getting married and we’ve only just begun,” she said.

The couple recently returned from an extensive trip that took them from the Middle East to Europe. Bonnie had prayed, “God, please find me a man that goes to my church, is close to my age and likes to travel.” Laughing, she said, “I got all three, plus he likes to cook!”

The trim, active couple shares a commitment to fitness and exercise. They walk five times a week at a local mall and take water aerobics classes three times a week. “At our age if you don’t keep exercising you might as well start digging your grave,” Bonnie said.

Chet offered this advice to other newlyweds. “The key to marriage is not insisting you’re right. You can be free to be wrong.” He added, “If your spouse is displeased with you about something, don’t push them away; instead draw them closer.”

From across the room his bride beamed at him. “He’s my one true love,” she said. “To find him this late in life is just remarkable.”