In The News - Sixty-nine years of marital bliss
by Chris Friar
Bigfork Eagle
She walked behind her husband pushing his wheelchair with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. Her husband looked imposing and distinguished as he surveyed the room and watched the guests in anticipation of their 69th wedding anniversary. Ellsworth, 93 and Dorothy, 90, Vinnedge casually walked to the table that held a large white cake, which was baked to celebrate a love spanning almost seven decades.
As Dorothy walked into the room, she gazed up at one of the attendents at Lakeview Care Center and said. "It sure doesn't seem like 69 years."
The couple met when they were in their early teens. Dorothy was 14 and Ellsworth was 16 when they met.
"My family was selling the farm ," says Dorothy, "his family was buying the place and that's how our families became friends."
Dorothy was born in Williamsburg Pennslyvania and Ellsworth was born in Shetack Wisconsin. Yet the two admit it took awhile for them to get to know and trust each other.
One day, while Ellsworth's family was negotiating the purchase of the farm, Dorothy happened to be up in a tree and saw Ellsworth coming up the path, she was 14 at the time, and it was her opportunity to get a good look at the fellow who was going to live on her farm. Both admit it wasn't love at first sight.
"I didn't think much of him at the time," says Dorothy, "he was tall and good looking, but I didn't care for him much because he was coming over to check out our farm."
"I didn't think much of her either," says Ellsworth, "she was a Pennslvyania Dutch and we just don't speak the same language."
Four years later, Dorothy was walking down the street carrying a bunch of celery in her arms when she saw Ellsworth walking toward her.
"As I walked past him I hit him on the arm with the bunch of celery," says Dorothy, "he must of liked it because he asked me to marry him shortly after that."
At the time, Dorothy was not allowed to see anyone because she was going through nurses training and her family would not allow her to go out. Nevertheless, Ellsworth and Dorothy eloped in 1931 and didn't tell a living soul about their marriage until a year later.
"We couldn't tell anyone," said Dorothy, "I would have been in serious trouble, I wasn't even supposed to go out or see anyone until my training was over."
They were so in love, they defied their families, packed their bags, went into another city and found a Methodist minister, with a white parsonage, who agreed to marry the young lovers. Dorothy insisted that was the only way it was going to be.
When they arrived at the church, the minister woke up the 84-year-old woman who lived next door to stand as witness.
"We didn't get married until 9 p.m." smiled Dorothy, "we had to hustle up a witness, find the church, but we did it and kept it a secret as long as we could."
Since then Dorothy and Ellsworth have traveled throughout the southwest. They raised an adopted son and nephew and now have nine grandchildren. Ellsworth, who was wounded while serving in the Navy during World War II, was given six months to live. But he survived a lifetime with sheer determination and Dorothy at his side.
"I worked hard, right beside him," says Dorothy, "and although we still fight from time to time, we managed to get along this far."