Joel and Carolyn LaPray have obviously discovered the secret to a long and happy marriage. Now, their sharing with the world a love story for more than six decades.
Joel and Carolyn grew up as neighbors and would often play together. Their parents were friends so it was not uncommon for them to arrange playdates for their kids with each other.
The couple met when they were both toddlers 82 years ago, Joel was 23 months old while Carolyn was only 14 months old. They became close friends and even have a picture of them that was taken in either 1941 or 1942; right before the war, they recall.
When World War II broke out, both families moved from their native West Idaho. Later when it had ended and both families ended up resettling in Logan, Utah, they met again.
While they were in the same area for years, Joel and Carolyn didn’t do much together as they were of the opposite sex and had different interests at the time. It was only when Joel asked Carolyn to go with him to the military ball when they were sophomores in high school did they interact with one another again.
At the time, it was clear to Joel that he liked Carolyn. When they were out together, he said to himself, “I kinda like her; I think I’m gonna marry her someday.”
Unfortunately for Joel, the same couldn’t be said about Carolyn. Joel shared how Carolyn thought he was boring, which was true – she recalled how he didn’t say two words the entire night they were together!
When they were seniors in high school, they finally reconnected for good and began dating each other. As Joel told their story, Carolyn echoed his words by saying they “fell in love.”
Joel and Carolyn went to Utah State University together the following year and continued dating. By the end of their freshman year, they were sure of one another and got married.
During their interview with East Idaho News, Carolyn held onto a photo frame with their first photo together, then she proceeded to tell an adorable story about their wedding.
Carolyn revealed that Joel’s mother had retrieved their black-and-white photo together and asked a friend to paint it. The friend put the colors in, and up until today, her work can be seen in the photo they’ve kept throughout the years.
After getting the colored photo years ago, they put it in front of their wedding cake. It read: “Joel and Carolyn, their first date.” Carolyn was proud to tell the story, claiming, “That was special, too.”
When asked about their secret to a 64-year marriage, Joel said, “Compromise. We each had different opinions. We compromise – we do it her way.”
Joel and Carolyn LaPray have 6 children, 25 grandchildren, and over 30 great-grandchildren! What a wonderful example! What a beautiful legacy!
Watch the video below for more details:
Sources: AWM, East Idaho News