George and Ruth

Today would have been my parents’ 70th wedding anniversary. They met on a blind date in the early 1950s. Ruth was the city girl from Hancock and George was the farmer’s son from Tapiola. Their best friends from high school were also dating and introduced them. He was second youngest in a family of eight and she was fourth youngest in a family of 10!

They married in 1955 and went on to purchase the cabins from his parents and began a long tenure of more than 50 years as resort owners.

What I always appreciated most about my parents was their strong work ethic, sense of humor, and abiding love for their families. As you age, you realize how much pain and loss people go through over the course of their lives. Memories of friends and family members who have passed on dwindle over the years, including the sound of their voices, celebrations of their birthdays, and their favorite things. I think it’s rather important to keep their memories alive in conversations, family get-togethers, and everyday thoughts. My mom did this, and I appreciate those stories so much now because I never really knew my grandparents as the last passed when I was just a toddler.

My mom often spoke lovingly of her parents, and stayed in close contact with all her siblings even though their journeys led them far from home. I was fortunate to build and sustain lasting relationships with dozens of cousins on both sides of my family. I thank my parents for this gift.

If you are driving west in the U.P. between Marquette and Houghton, you may recall passing through the Three Lakes area near Michigamee. The lakes are called Ruth, George, and Beaufort. Lakes Ruth and George flank US-41 and we always commented that they must have been named for my parents! I still smile every time I pass that way at the serendipity of the names, and all the beautiful memories of my family’s own George and Ruth.