Love stories: Love that has lasted

For David Garinger, Valentine’s Day is unforgettable. That’s because on Feb. 14, 1947, he kissed his future wife, for the first time. This is the way he described it: “I had my arm around Zelma, sitting close. I smelled her sweetness. Her dark shining hair and sparkling blue eyes worked their magic on me. Our lips met … it seemed so right.”

Sixty-one years later, it still seems right. From their South Side living room the couple recalled their courtship. Zelma was just 16 when they met at Los Angeles Pacific College. Garinger was smitten with the young beauty, but Zelma said, “I didn’t want to go out with him. He was too old!” He was 23 at the time. In fact she told her father, “Some old Marine wants to date me.”

That “old Marine” knew a thing or two about persistence. They had their first date in December 1946 and were married Aug. 10, 1947.

Wedding photos show a beaming couple who are often caught laughing. “The ring bearer stepped on my floor-length veil,” Zelma said. Then she giggled. “It came right off!”

The couple spent their honeymoon in a cabin at Big Bear Lake. They boated, bicycled and fished. Maybe some new brides wouldn’t want to bait hooks on their honeymoon, but Zelma said, “I grew up fishing with my dad.”

Their first home was a tiny Quonset hut. “It was like playing house,” Zelma said. Though she continued to take some college classes, it wasn’t long before her maternal instinct kicked in. “We were in veterans’ housing,” she recalled. “Everyone was having babies.”

In 1949, the Garingers welcomed the first of their four children. The following years were eventful and filled with many moves. David Garinger continued his education at Seattle Pacific University, and then the family moved wherever his work took him.

“It’s amazing looking back,” said Zelma. “Life was so busy. We must have had hard times; it just doesn’t seem that way to me.”

After the birth of their fourth child in 1961, Zelma finally returned to college and graduated with a teaching degree. She taught elementary school for 30 years. David worked as a carpenter and contractor, and didn’t retire until he was 75.

The couple moved to Spokane from California to be near their youngest child. Instead of living in a retirement community, they chose a home in a bustling neighborhood filled with young families. They enjoy their neighbors and having children around them.

Still trim and fit at ages 78 and 84, the Garingers’ active lifestyle has continued in their retirement years. “We went on an Alaskan cruise for our 50th anniversary,” Zelma said. “From then on we just kept going. We really got the bug.” The couple have visited 31 countries in the past 10 years.

Like many married folks, the Garingers admit to being opposites. “He’s usually positive and I’m a worrier,” Zelma said. When about their favorite travel adventure, David said, “I think China was our most exciting trip.” However, his wife chose Norway. “We took a train trip through the mountains,” she said. “It was so beautiful.”

Zelma Garinger describes her husband as extroverted and vigorous. “He still has excess energy,” she said with a laugh.

“I can still shovel snow when my neighbors will let me,” he said.

His wife is more sedate and enjoys quiet hobbies like quilting and reading. Over the years they’ve learned the necessary skills of compromise and negotiation. “It helps to have our own space,” she said.

She has her quilting room on one side of their home, and her husband has his office on the other. He writes, paints oil colors, and keeps busy helping at Riverview Bible camp. They both enjoy travel and watching the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Each morning Garinger brings his wife a cup of coffee in bed. “He likes to celebrate things,” Zelma said. “On my birthday last week he brought my coffee and a little piece of birthday cake with a candle lit.”

Sixty-one years after that first Valentine’s kiss, their advice to others lovers is straightforward. “It’s give and take,” Garinger said. “You decide you want to be together and cooperate with each other.”

“Don’t expect it to be perfect,” said Zelma. “Love is a decision.”