Fifty years with Iris

This is the week when First Wife Iris reminded me we have been married for 50 years. She did that for several reasons. One reason was because she wanted me to get dressed up to be taken for dinner by her Sewing Club. Unique topic of conversation came up during the meal, the group was made up of close friends where-in the nine marriages represented had each managed to survive 50 or more years. Iris and I are the last of that group to reach the Golden Anniversary, partly because she is the youngest of the ladies, and of course I was afraid of girls until my late 20s.

The topic then zeroed in on "why" and "how" that particular circle of friends could do something so unusual in this day and age. I immediately suggested it was because each of those girls had the unbelievable good luck to catch guys who were hard working, extremely thoughtful, had a sense of humor, and whose major goal in life was to make their wives happy.

There was no actual booing about my theory; however, some of the ladies suggested there might be other factors such as "unlimited" female patience, children to take care of, and other stuff like that. Suddenly thinking about the next 50 years, I did have the wisdom to say my first theory was just thrown out for fun. The consensus eventually seemed to be that, "Yes, we (the girls) had some luck in picking husbands, but the first 15 or 20 years had not been an absolute trip through paradise." The women seemed to agree that even the orneriest of the husbands do tend to "mellow out and get less self centered as they get over 55." Iris added to that by saying, "It was closer to 60 for George." The bad part was that several at the table nodded their heads in a knowing manner.

Thankfully, the food arrived at that time and the subject was dropped. Being a columnist gives me a shot at the last word, however: Over the last 50 years I have been neither the very best of husbands nor the worst. I am grateful that when I did get married I got a woman who was just what I needed. She turned out to be a wonderful mother, companion and sweetheart. Maybe most important, a superior homemaker. Besides that she is patient beyond what a complex character like me deserves. She has smilingly tolerated the years having unwanted publicity because of my writing and broadcasting habits, even though she is basically a private person.

Forgive me one more time Iris! I got hold of her records on our wedding. In 1958 getting hitched was not as expensive. We had a nice church wedding with plenty of trimming. The bride's bouquet of roses cost $7.50, attendants' corsages of irises totaled $10, 12 boutonnieres were 50 cents apiece. Reception room was $15 and the cake $30, with the added cost of $15 for the punch and five for the napkins. Two-hundred announcements were $27.50. Two formals were $50 and the flower girl's dress $15. The largest expenditure being $89.95 for Iris' beautiful wedding gown.

My pay was $400 per month and I had debts, so… Iris paid for the honeymoon to Canada. That is just on more reason why I love her very much.

G. George Ostrom is a Kalispell resident and a Hungry Horse News columnist.