56 Years Ago Today
56 years ago today Rich and I were married after meeting on a blind date on Christmas Day, December 25, 1965. I was 16, Rich was 19 years old.
When our eyes first met, we knew we would be together forever but first I had to finish school. Rich had just returned from his US Army tour of duty in Vietnam, I was a sophomore and would graduate high school in June 1967.
A little over a month after graduation we were married at St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church in Schenectady New York and introduced as Mr. and Mrs.
Out of the car with my dad as Martha Henion and after our wedding ceremony, back in the car with Rich as Martha DeMeo.
A young girl and guy,
Met on a blind date.
It was love at first sight,
The ring cannot wait.
A wedding was planned,
The date had been set.
A year and a half later
From when they first met.
It’s been 56 years
Their love is still strong.
Together forever
It doesn’t seem that long.
Today is their day,
56 years have gone by.
As their vows are renewed,
Happy tears she will cry.
Poem I wrote for our 50th anniversary but changed the years.
Through the first few years that Rich and I met, I jotted down highlights of our life together. Back in 2015 with the help from one of my high school friends, I took my notes of 50 years and turned it into a mini story. This is my True Love is Forever Strong story. Since I completed this story eight years ago, our family has grown. What started with two daughters has so far ended with seven grandchildren and ten great grandchildren. We have two grands that haven’t married yet so we still have a chance to up our great grands!
Every year on our anniversary I put on my wedding gown on that was made with love by my grandmother. The past few years Lia has helped me renew the memories. We will be going to Mass this evening to renew our vows once again.
Happy Anniversary Rich, I love you and we are a team forever and ever.
Happy Anniverary, Martha and Rich!
56 years, I don’t even know how long that is, I haven’t been around that long 😉
I always love reading about your story. It’s like in a movie.
A couple like the two of you give me hope that there are people out there who are able to push through and grow together instead of apart.
LOL I think Rich and I are two of the oldest around Tamara. We are considered “ma and pop” to everyone. Just wait until I wrote about our 60th in four more years!
Happy Anniversary!
Thanks Steve!
Congratulations!
Thanks Kate, so many memories, so many more to make.
Martha! What a spectacular day for you and Rich. I love the journey through your pictures. You are both so precious and blessed with each other and a wonderful big family. CONGRATULATIONS and wishes for many many many more years of joy together. Love your poem. It is sweet and beautiful. Cindy Rae
Thank you Cindy, God had a big part in our years together.
Wow! Happy anniversary!
I love this, and how you have documented your story! May you have many more anniversaries!
Thanks Dominique, I’ll post a blog update on our 60th!
Yours is such a beautiful story! And I love seeing your pictures because the love between the two of you is evident in every one of them. Happy Anniversary!!
I left out the pictures of me yelling at Rich, Jeanine! LOL But we have made so many wonderful memories and more to come.
Congratulations Martha. Such a beautiful poem and I hope you both stay happy an healthy together forever.
Thank you Amrita. Sometimes poems just come to me and this was one of them.
Martha, you and Rich are awesome! What a life you have had! I am so happy for you! And you have so much to be proud of.
Thank you Kebba. We have so much to be thankful for and I know God has been with us through some of the trials we have gone through.