As Valentine's Day approaches, the Press talks with two Harvard couples.
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| Bill and Anita Tilley (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz) |
Anita and Bill Tilley of Woodside Road have been married for 55 years. They have four children: Bruce, Rhonda, William, and Douglas. Anita is an accomplished artist who has paintings prominently displayed all over their house. Many of her subjects are scenes from international locales. Bill writes daily in a journal he says he has always kept but, never looked back at. He also spent the years taking photos and videos to preserve the memories he and Anita made together.
The Press: How did you meet?
Bill: We both worked at General Radio in Concord. We met when we played on our company bowling team.
Anita: He was lucky because I wasn't very sporty but someone asked me to fill in on the team.
The Press: Where was your first date?
Bill: We went to a car club show out by the Meadows Night Club on Route 9. Anita's brother had an old car, and he had it in the show.
The Press: How did Anita's family feel when you proposed?
Bill: They were pretty surprised to find out that I was a widower and had been married for 13 years. Not to mention I had two children. But, it went over beautifully.
Anita: It didn't bother me at all. They came with the package, and we all became a family quickly.
Bill: I liked her father. He was a master builder. In fact, he built this house for us and put a little guest house out in the back where he and Anita's mother would come and stay in the summer.
Anita: They would have breakfast with us every morning.
The Press: Where did you get married?
Bill: We got married at the Lutheran Church in Cambridge. It was the only church with a center aisle and Anita wanted to walk down the center of church in her wedding gown.
The Press: How long have you lived in Harvard?
Bill: Fifty-five years. We lived in the carriage house of the Fiske Warren House until Anita's dad built this house for us. We have enjoyed our time here. Our children grew up here and graduated here.
Anita: Yes, and I enjoyed my time as a Girl Scout leader. I travelled with the girls, and we had a lot of fun.
The Press: What would you say is the secret to such a long and successful marriage?
Bill: Well, I can tell you, the truth is that we have never had a fight in all of our years of marriage. Never have—never will!
Anita: They've been great years. Haven't they Bill?
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| David King and Gretchen Henry (Courtesy photo) |
David King and Gretchen Henry have been married for less than two months.
Gretchen is known to many as the interim associate principal at the elementary school and a deacon at the Congregational Church in Harvard. David has two daughters and five grandchildren in Harvard.
The Press: How long have you known each other?
Gretchen: We met at the Congregational Church of Harvard. David had joined so that he could attend the church with his daughter and her family who live in Harvard. I was already a long term member but met David in my duties as deacon. Since then David's other daughter has moved to Harvard with her husband and son.
The Press: Where was your first date?
Gretchen: Our first date was to the Storybook Ball fundraiser for the new Harvard Public Library which was on New Year's Eve 2004. I asked David as a friend.
David: It's fun that Gretchen asked me out. It was kind of like she wanted to go, but not alone. I guess she thought I wasn't a threat.
Gretchen: Actually, I asked him because I thought he seemed like a sweet man because of the way he interacted with his family.
The Press: How long were you engaged?
Gretchen: We were engaged for exactly one year: New Year's Eve 2010 to New Year's Eve 2011. David proposed on New Year's Eve at dinner at our favorite restaurant, Sonoma in Princeton.
David: New Year's Eve is very significant to us.
The Press: Was she surprised when you proposed?
David: There aren't many surprises at our age. I have learned over the years there are certain things you include women in. We had actually looked at rings together and narrowed them down to two options. When I went to pick out the final ring, I brought her daughter with me and we both agreed on the same ring, which was great. I asked her brother and her son for permission to marry her.
The Press: Where did you get married?
Gretchen: We were married on New Year's Day 2012 at the Congregational Church of Harvard. We didn't have a big wedding party. Our grandchildren sang the "Magic Penny," and my daughter who is a jazz singer sang us a song.
The Press: Did you go on a honeymoon?
Gretchen: We had a 24-hour honeymoon at the Castle Hill Resort in Ludlow, Vt. We plan to take a longer trip this summer.