Platinum Anniversary for Carroll Lutheran Village Couple

How many couples do you know who have made it to their 70th wedding anniversary?

Longtime residents of Carroll Lutheran Village, Jane and Ralph Nupp, have, and the two celebrated their platinum anniversary on August 7 at a ceremony thrown by Chaplain Jimmie L. Schwartz. The celebration was accented in purple, Jane’s favorite color, and featured a wedding cake for the happy couple and many cards from friends and family strung around the chapel. Numerous Carroll Lutheran Village residents attended the event to join in celebrating their friends, Jane and Ralph.

The Love Story of Jane and Ralph

Jane and Ralph met in high school, on a blind date to a dinner dance and dated for five years before marrying in 1948. During their marriage, Ralph was in the Navy and trained to become a test pilot. This led the couple to travel to many destinations. Jane’s favorite place she visited with Ralph was Bermuda, where Ralph was stationed and the couple honeymooned.

The pair eventually settled on a farm where they had many animals, including horses. Ralph and Jane have six children: Jim, Janet, Judy, Joel, Jeff, and John, four of whom attended the celebration. The couple also has 14 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. The thing that Jane says she loves most about being a grandmother is spoiling her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Jane reveals that the secret to longevity in marriage is “a lot of give and take,” but says that she wouldn’t give too much advice to couples marrying today because things are a lot different now. “At that age I probably wouldn’t have listened to advice,” Jane says. Throughout her marriage, Jane shares, she and Ralph got through the good and bad times by relying on their Christianity and trusting in God.

During the anniversary celebration, close family friend Peggy Brengle played piano, and two of the couple’s sons, John and Jeff, read scripture. Their daughter Judy read from Corinthians and discussed how her parents always taught their children about unconditional love.

As residents of Carroll Lutheran Village for over twenty years, living in the CLV community has played a huge role in the lives of Jane and Ralph. Jane says that living at Carroll Lutheran Village has allowed her to take art classes and become more creative, which led to her helping start the original publication of Creative Expressions, a creative writing and art publication for residents. At the party, daughter Judy also shared how the community has been a great place for her parents to live and a place for their large family to gather over the years.

Seventy Times Seven

Organizer of the event, Chaplain Jimmie spoke to the couple and attendees, focusing on a lesson to be learned from Matthew’s Gospel. “In the 18th chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, the disciples ask Jesus how many times they ought to forgive, and if they should forgive each other seven times. Jesus says to them ‘no, forgive each other seventy times seven.’”

Therefore, Chaplain Jimmie asked the Nupps on their anniversary day, whether they have ever forgiven one another, and they looked at each other and said “yes.” And then Chaplain Jimmie asked “did you forgive each other at least once a year?” With hesitance, the couple looked at each other once again and said “yes.” And then Chaplain Jimmie asked “did you, by chance, forgive each other once a day?” The Nupps looked at each other and refused to answer. Then the Chaplain reminded the couple and everyone in attendance, that if they had forgiven each other once a day, that they have fulfilled the scriptural mandate of forgiving each other seventy times seven.

The bash concluded the way that Jane and Ralph’s celebration did many years ago, with a cake and punch reception and many friends there to wish the couple well. The two had their own personal cake, which they enjoyed together and shared with family. Jane and Ralph look forward to growing their family, with two upcoming weddings on the horizon and more great grandchildren to come.