By Chad Koenen

Publisher

Wayne and Phylis Peterson achieved a milestone few people can ever dream about—70 years of wedded bliss.  ¶  On May 28, 1955, Phyllis Amundson and Wayne Peterson, along with Doris Ellingson and Derald Cordes got married in a double ceremony. Though Phyllis and Wayne knew each other in high school, they didn’t date until they were out of college.  ¶  “We were good friends and I was crazy about her in high school, but I couldn’t make a good connection,” said Wayne.  ¶  That changed when Phyllis was living with Doris in Los Angeles, Calif., and Wayne would come to visit some of his old high school friends when he was stationed in Las Vegas, Nev.  ¶  The couple began dating, but shortly thereafter Wayne found out he was going to be sent to Japan and the couple had a decision that was quite common during those days—get married now or wait a year or better until his tour with the military was over.

When they told Doris and Derald about the impending wedding, the Peterson’s were taken aback by the response they received from their friends.

“(Wayne) was out there and I told them Wayne and I were getting married. They looked at each other and said lets make it a double,” said Phyllis.

Less-than a month after Wayne proposed, Phyllis and Doris rented a dress in Hollywood for $25 each and traveled up the West Coast to Ventura, Calif., to visit Pastor Owen Doley, who moved to the West Coast after serving in Henning. Phyllis said even though they planned on having him marry them, the unsuspecting pastor had no idea that several of the teens he confirmed a number of years ago were paying him a visit to get married.

While he may have been initially taken aback by the request, Pastor Doley married the couples at a double ceremony on May 28, 1955.

Both the family’s moved back to the Henning area and on their 20th anniversary they each had a daughter graduate from Henning High School. Since Wayne and Derald were both on the school board, they had the privilege to hand their daughters their diplomas. They even had a special guest speaker at the graduation ceremony, Pastor Doley who had also moved back to Minnesota.  

The Petersons are currently residents at Willow Creek and Wayne offered a bit of advice to the keys of being married for 70 years—get married young and don’t fight.

“Only one thing for sure is you have to start young,” said Wayne with a laugh as he shared the key to being married for 70 years. “Don’t go to bed mad. No fighting and the good Lord takes care of the rest.”

Always one to have a statistic, Wayne said just 1/10 percent of people who are married ever make it to 70 years. Ironically there have been a bit of a run of local residents who have lived at Willow Creek who have either hit that mark or are coming close to it.

In addition to the Peterson’s Lee and Ruth Amundson celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary two years ago and another couple in Willow Creek are just one year away from hitting 70 years as well.

Recently, family and friends gathered for a 70th wedding anniversary celebration for Wayne and Phyllis Peterson with a number of family and friends attending the gathering. 

The couple has three children, seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren.