Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Love stories: Faith helps couple in lean times

Sandra Babcock Correspondent

It was a time of the jitterbug and pointed “cat” glasses. A time of chic gloves and hats, sport coats and ties.

It was the generation that hound-dogged to Elvis Presley but had yet to hold its hands to The Beatles.

It was Aug. 10, 1962, when South Hill residents Dorothy and Ron Thomsen first met.

“I worked for a tour agency during the summer of the world’s fair in Seattle,” Dorothy Thomsen said.

Her calm voice became lively, reflecting her ingrained determination. She spoke of unwavering faith and facing fears. She laughed frequently.

“I lived with a couple of girls, and we’d go out to all the different bars,” she said.

Ron Thomsen’s dynamic voice and comfortable smile put you at ease. You’re never guessing his opinion on any subject.

“I always traveled (to the bars) by myself because I didn’t want nobody butting in on my … .” His words trailed off.

“I thought he was a neat guy,” Dorothy Thomsen said. “He just seemed kind and considerate and talkative.”

“Well, what attracted me … ,” Ron Thomsen began. “I went with a lot of women. Half of them were so stupid. She was a Democrat then, and at least we could talk politics and argue.”

After two months, the two were at a restaurant when Ron asked Dorothy what she thought would happen in their relationship.

Dorothy replied, “I think we’re going to get married.”

“How about getting married on March 2?” Ron asked.

The Thomsens were married on March 2, 1963, and honeymooned in Hawaii when plane fare was $100 and hotel rooms were $10 a night.

“Her dad liked to challenge me because I was a Republican,” Ron Thomsen said. “When we got married, the ring bearer was crying because he thought he had to marry the flower girl.

“And Dorothy’s dad was crying because she was marrying a Republican.”

The two laughed.

“One thing about Dorothy’s family – I always felt welcomed, no matter what,” Ron Thomsen said.

Despite differing politics, the Thomsens solidified their lives with a tight weave of respect and trust.

In 1978, Ron Thomsen, a contractor with numerous building connections in Seattle, longed for a change, and the family moved to Spokane. By then, the Thomsens had three children.

“Ron started building spec houses,” Dorothy Thomsen said. “Not having contacts here, you have to start your own. That was a disaster. We had our hard times.”

“That’s when inflation and mortgages went up so high, and like an idiot, we used most of our money to help finance those spec houses, and we lost them,” Ron Thomsen said. “That really beat me down for a while.”

“It was also the loss of a dream. Sometimes, that’s the hardest thing to take when you have to get a new plan,” Dorothy Thomsen said.

Marriage counselors say money is the No. 1 relationship destroyer. The Thomsens tackled the lean times with faith.

“We accepted our Lord in 1971. That’s how our kids weathered through all this stuff, and we did, too,” Ron Thomsen said.

“With the architects and stuff, I could never get my foot in the door. But then I started teaching carpentry. That brought in money. Those are things we felt like the Lord gave us.

“We were both raised in families that – well, my family had nothing when I was a kid. Dorothy had six kids in her family, and her dad scratched out a living,” Ron Thomsen said.

While the 1970s brimmed with the byproducts of the “me” generation, the Thomsens’ solid principles and character-building techniques became the stuff their children absorbed.

“I wanted to instill in them that it doesn’t matter what you have; you build your own future,” Dorothy Thomsen said. “We built our own future even if we had setbacks.”

“I loaned them money,” Ron Thomsen said. “But I told them I’m not paying your way through college.

“When they finished school and started working, they paid it back, and they feel good about it.

“Some people asked why we didn’t pay their way, and I said, ‘Well, we really couldn’t afford it, but I didn’t want them to get a free ride because then they would think life is going to be like that.’ ”

“And another thing,” Dorothy Thomsen chimed in, ” ‘divorce’ was not a word we ever discussed.”

“Divorce was never an option,” Ron Thomsen parroted.

Forty-four years is proof of that.

“Marriage is a lifetime. You work it out. I know that must be hard. It wasn’t easy in the beginning,” Dorothy Thomsen said.

“We have different personalities, but we’re very compatible on the main things.”

The Thomsens both smiled as they reflected on their lives together.

“We give credit to the Lord. We don’t have a lot materially, but we’ve got wonderful children and grandchildren and many friendships,” Dorothy Thomsen said.

“We didn’t know each other that long before we got married. It think it was just because we hit if off together. She’s a smart gal,” Ron Thomsen said.

“And I was good-looking,” Dorothy Thomsen quipped. “It was those cat glasses.”