On May 18, Michael and I will celebrate 52 years of marriage.
As I’ve reflected on our anniversary over the past few years, I’ve realized that our story is a bit unusual. Many couples discover that opposites attract—that each brings different strengths, interests, and experiences to a marriage. In our case, we began with an extraordinary amount in common.
We were both confirmed in the Methodist church, grounding our lives in a shared faith.
We both attended Kansas State Teachers College in Emporia (now Emporia State University), where we pursued degrees in physical science education—though I still tend to say I majored in chemistry. Chemistry, in fact, played a major role in bringing us together. We both worked as chemistry lab assistants, spending hours in labs, classrooms, and around campus, building not only our knowledge of science but also a relationship that would last a lifetime.
Then came graduation in May of 1974.
And the very next day—we were married.
That beginning set the tone for much of our lives: moving forward together, often on remarkably similar paths.
Michael began his teaching career as a chemistry and physics teacher at Nemaha Valley High School. I started my career teaching chemistry and physics for USD 380, splitting my time between teaching students from Centralia and Frankfort at Vermilion and teaching freshman earth science at Centralia. After two years, our professional lives converged when I joined Michael at Nemaha Valley, though my classroom assignment shifted to biology.
While Michael pursued graduate coursework and science opportunities, I found myself drawn in a different—but complementary—direction. I earned my master’s degree in library science, leading to a career shift in 1985 when I became the school librarian.
Of course, schools were changing rapidly by then.
By 1992, computers had become a much larger part of education, and I added technology coordinator to my responsibilities. My strengths were always on the software side of things, while Mike became my dependable hardware consultant. It seemed fitting: even when our job descriptions evolved, we still found ways to work as a team.
Education shaped much of our married life. We spent decades in the same school system, helping students navigate science, research, technology, and learning.
Then in 2016, we retired—together.
Retirement didn’t end our shared interests. It simply redirected them.
These days, instead of solving science problems or troubleshooting school technology, we spend much of our time researching our families. While our genealogical interests focus on different branches, the detective work feels familiar. Once again, we are asking questions, seeking evidence, and piecing together stories.
Looking back, I realize that our marriage has been built not only on love, but also on shared curiosity, mutual support, and the willingness to grow—sometimes in parallel, sometimes in different directions, but always together.
Fifty-two years after saying “I do,” I’m grateful that the chemistry still works.