“She’s the upbeat one. I’m the crabby one,” said Bob Rosebraugh of Martha, his bride of 67 years. It is this kind of humor, plus Martha’s ever-present laugh, that buoyed the Wheaton, Ill., couple to their golden anniversary and beyond.
Despite the increasing divorce rate among people over 50, the percentage of couples married 50 or more years increased from 4.8 in 1996to 6.2 in 2009 (the most recent year tallied), according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Rosebraughs count several of their longtime friends among this demographic trend, although Martha added that most are younger. She is 88 and Bob is 90.
Marrying during a simpler time helped them, they said.
“It was after the war, when getting married seemed the natural thing to do,” recalled Bob, a retired pilot, who fell for the 16-year-old Martha before World War II.
“Women mostly stayed home with the kids then, which made it easier,” said Martha, a homemaker. “Today, both [spouses] have to work. Families have debts. In many ways,it’s harder now.”
Good health, the ability to take care of each other, vacation memories and nearby children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren help solidify their marriage, the couple said.
Time apart helps, too, even if “apart” means the other side of their Wyndemere Senior Living Community apartment.
“I used to play bridge with my friends while he played golf with his,” Martha said. “Now we each have our own TV, so he can watch sports in the front room and I can watch the History Channel or, believe it or not, Lawrence Welk in the bedroom.”
“Yep,” Bob said. “And together, we watch golf.”
Family, Pages 39 on 03/13/2013