Couples honored during Valentine's Day event
Sixty years celebrated
A couple married 60 years was honored during the Valentine’s Day dinner and dance at Foxwood Farms Friday evening.
Raymond and Maralyn Chapin were married April 10, 1951 in Plainfield, Vt. They were high school sweethearts.
Even before they were in high school, they were neighbors. They met each other in fifth grade. He was 12. She was 11.
Fifth grade wasn’t a good year for Ray Chapin. He spent a portion of the school year in the hospital and was held back a year.
They caught up with each other again in high school and started dating. The Korean War came along and Ray Chapin went into the infantry. They married when he was home on leave. He spent two years in the Army and another two years in the National Guard reserves.
After the service, Chapin went to work for the telephone company in Vermont. Numerous promotions came his way and he retired as an assistant plant manager.
When the youngest of the couple’s daughters was in high school, Maralyn Chapin went to work for National Life Insurance for Vermont.
They retired in 1993 and traveled in their RV. They spent years in Alabama and time in Clermont before coming to Foxwood Farms in 2002.
The Chapin say that communication is a key factor for staying married.
“We’ve had our ups and downs,” admits Maralyn.
Ray says it important to sit down and talk through problems and straighten things out.
Problems should be worked out together Maralyn says.
Three other couples were recognized for each being married 50 years in the event organized by the Foxwood Social Committee.
Those couples were not able to attend the event. The couples married in 1961 were: Curtis and Pat Hicks, March 30; David and Bernadette Neudick, Sept. 30 and Nelson and Anita Hamblin, Aug. 15.
Another couple new to the community, Paul and Carol Straw, celebrated their 40thwedding anniversary on Valentine’s Day and were at the catered dinner event.
Paul Straw retired from the military in 1982. While in the military, Carol says they moved once a year. To supplement Paul’s Army pay they would buy a house and spend their time fixing it up. They would sell the house once transferred. They lived both overseas and in the states during his military career.
After retiring, Paul continued in food service before retiring again in 2003, the year they moved to Foxwood Farms.
Add new comment
Read and share your thoughts on this story
Ad Gallery
Copyright © 2012
The West Marion Messenger is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in West Marion County and Ocala, Fl, and the surrounding area.