Newspaper

Kidron Bethel Village in North Newton is home to several couples who will celebrate another chapter in the story of their lifelong romances when they attended Bethel Health Care's valentine dinner Friday. Each couple has a unique history and perspective on long-lasting marriages. Titus Jost, formerly of Hillsboro, had spent about nine months in Colorado with the Civilian Public Service. He called to ask Rose Thiessen of Inman to marry him when he learned she could accompany him to his next post, working at a mental hospital in Norristown, Pa. He decided to make a trip home to Kansas and surprise Rose. At the same time, Rose had a chance to accompany another couple to Colorado, where she planned to pop in and see Titus. When she arrived unannounced, she found herself the lone woman in the CPS unit. Rose spent the night locked in a laundry room for her protection until she and Titus could be reunited. It was an interesting beginning to their 66-year marriage. The Josts have three sons and lived on a farm between Sedgwick and Newton, raising crops and registered Holstein cattle. The couple has three grandchildren. "Working together during the Depression brought us together as a couple," Rose said. "Be willing to cooperate and listen to each other," Titus added. John Lohrentz of Moundridge liked to eat at the Guest House Restaurant and took a liking to one of the store's employees, Susie Hiebert, a widow from Goessel. When John learned she had four children - ages 6, 8, 10 and 12 - he said nothing. That, Susie said, was when she knew he was "a great man." One day, John went to the restaurant to ask her, "Do you go out?" She did, and it was love at first sight, she said. They went to a Low-German play at Bethel College and were married within the year. She worked as a cook at Bethel College, and he farmed and worked for eight years at Hesston Corporation. He also enjoyed carving as a hobby. Forty-six years later, John, 101, and Susie, 91, offer their tidbits of wisdom for a solid marriage: "Love and understanding are necessary, and cooperation, even when it's hard. Work to get to know each other's family." The Lohrentzes have nine grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. "And I love 'em all," Susie said. Ed Kater and Esther Dunham met during a dance at a candy shop at Main and Broadway in Newton. He asked her out on their first date to a church youth meeting, and three years later the couple married. "Make sure you love the person," Esther said of her husband and their 72-year love story, "because a marriage requires give and take. If you really love them, you are willing to give more." The Katers farmed north of Newton for 50 years, then retired and lived in town for about eight years. He was a carpenter and enjoyed building everything from houses to furniture. The couple has three daughters and a son, nine grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. John Banman of rural Goessel and Iris Wetz of Kiowa were music teachers and co-workers in the Clearwater school district who went out on group dates until they realized they were "going out." They were night owls whose first official date was dinner out at a truck stop in Wichita. They saw each other for three years, marrying May 26, 1953. He continued to teach music, mostly in Ellinwood. She was a homemaker and also started a resource center in Ellinwood. The Banmans have a son and a daughter. John offered his usual joking advice for married couples: "Other women should mind their own business." "Try to do a good turn once a day," Iris added. After meeting her at a church in Concordia, Albert Faris asked Wanda Kizer out on a date. It was unique, as they gave a preacher a ride to Bellville in Albert's car. Even though it was very cold outside, Albert provided plenty of blankets to keep everyone warm, Wanda remembered. She also recalled the trip was a long one and they didn't get home from that first date until 3 a.m. Albert and Wanda married six months later, on Aug. 24, 1947. They raised nine children together and have celebrated nearly 63 years as man and wife. They have 18 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren. "Marriage isn't easy," Wanda said. "It takes hard work from both people. The hard times are what make you stronger."