Couples Married for Decades Offer Advice on Making Love Last

There is no shortage of dating sites and tools designed to help you find love. But once you do, how do you make love last?

We turned to couples at The Village at Legacy Pointe in Waukee who have been married for decades for insight on lasting relationships, and here’s their sound advice:

“Marriage takes patience. You must support each other through the good and the bad,” said Joyce Hagener, who has been married to her husband Bob for more than half a century at 53 years.

“You have to learn to adjust,” said Bonnie Hansen, married to husband Palmer for 61 years. “Your marriage and your spouse will change over the years. You must change and grow together.”

Respect is certainly important and was mentioned by more than one couple. As Viola Allen—married to husband Marvin for 22 years—said, “Respect comes before love. Nobody is perfect. Marriage is not perfect. If you always remain respectful to one another, you can build on your love.” Starr and Theresa Leitch—married for 25 years—agreed, saying “Treat each other with respect. Do not stay mad at each other.”

Bill Daly, who has been married to his wife Margaret for 68 years, offered some classic advice, “It’s simple to stay in a happy marriage. If you are unsure who is right, always agree with your wife. If you know that you are right, just keep your mouth shut.”

Perhaps the simplest advice came from Helen Dickerson who has been married to her husband Lou for 25 years. Helen said, “It’s all about loving one another.”

“I’m so inspired by the enduring love of these couples,” said Tammy Olson, Executive Director at The Village at Legacy Pointe. “After all these years you can still see the admiration in their eyes.”

For more information contact The Village at Legacy Pointe at 515-987-4100 or visit www.watermarkcommunities.com/VillageLegacyPointe.

ABOUT LEGACY POINTE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY OF WAUKEE
Located at 1650 SE Holiday Crest Circle, The Village at Legacy Pointe retirement community of Waukee serves up to 186 residents, with levels of care including Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care and Rehabilitation/Skilled Nursing. Watermark Retirement Communities Inc., one of America’s leading operators of senior living communities, owns and manages The Village at Legacy Pointe. Tammy Olson is the Executive Director of the community. For more information, visit www.watermarkcommunities.com/VillageLegacyPointe or call 515-987-4100.

ABOUT WATERMARK RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES INC.
Watermark Retirement Communities Inc. is the nation’s 13th largest senior housing operator. Watermark’s commitment to creating extraordinary communities where people thrive dates back 25 years to when it opened its first retirement community in 1987. Watermark manages 37 retirement communities coast to coast. Visit www.watermarkcommunities.com for more information.