(Top line, left to right) Guy & Ruth Mack, Harry Gardner & Betty Davis, (Bottom line, left to right) Carl and Jane Holler, Don & Doris Brown
Valentine’s Day Event at Colonial Courtyard at Bedford Highlights Lifelong Commitment, Enduring Affection
BEDFORD, Pa. – A true testament to the beauty of lasting love will be evident this Valentine’s Day at Colonial Courtyard at Bedford senior living community.
Four couples with a combined 257 years of marriage are residents of the community. Colonial Courtyard will serve them a Valentine’s Day lunch. Another couple who met at the community also will be recognized.
“It’s refreshing to see after years of being together, that love truly lasts,” said Brandy Thornton, Executive Operations Officer at Colonial Courtyard at Bedford. “It brings hope to our team members and comfort to our community that love is well preserved. We feel honored and blessed to be able to provide care and compassion so they can focus on enjoying each other during this chapter of their lives.”
The married couples at Colonial Courtyard at Bedford include:
- Don and Doris Brown – Don, age 84, and Doris, 83, were married in June 1958 and celebrated 65 years together last year. “As you get older things change, people change, minds change but you always have to remember why you got married so long ago,” Don Brown said. The Browns moved into the senior living community last November.
- Leroy and Lela Ickes – Leroy, 90, and Lela, 86, originally of Osterburg have been married 67 years since November 1956. They have lived at Colonial Courtyard at Bedford since last July.
- Carl and Jane Holler – Both 80-year-olds are formerly of Manns Choice. They wed in 1969 and have been together 54 years. “Always let him think he is right,” Jane Ickes joked when asked about the key to a long marriage. The Hollers also moved to the community last July.
- Guy and Ruth Mack – Guy, 95, and Ruth, 91, married 71 years ago in January 1953. “Each day is new, so start fresh and if you need to walk away, do it,” Guy Mack said.
Harry Gardner, 97, and Betty Davis, 87, met in the senior living community. Gardner, a Bedford native who spent much of his adult life in Nevada, became a resident in May 2021. Davis has resided in the community since 2019.
“Valentine’s Day isn’t just a celebration of love; It is a testament to the enduring power of commitment, loyalty and unwavering devotion,” said Heidi Brown, Community Relations Director at Colonial Courtyard at Bedford. “Our couples have shared a love that has stood the test of time, with shared experiences, fond memories, solace and companionship.”
For more information, contact Heidi Brown, Community Relations Director, Colonial Courtyard at Bedford, 220 Donahue Manor Road, at 814.624.0100 or hbrown@integracare.com.