Zanesville couple celebrates 70 years of marriage

ZANESVILLE, Ohio — One local couple spent Sunday afternoon celebrating nearly three-quarters of a century together.

Jim and Pat Theisen met each other almost 72-years ago, and after less than two-years of dating decided to tie the knot. They say God has graced them with a long marriage, four lovely kids, and a wonderful life.

“We met through a mutual friend, and went together for about a year-and-a-half, then we decided we might as well stay this way. God’s been good to us, and with the grace of God we made it this far and I hope we make it a few years further,” said Jim Theisen.

Jim explained that he received some advice from their minister on the night they wed– words that the two have never forgotten, and advice he says he would pass on to younger people getting married today.

“To learn that we both are wrong, and we both are right. And the minister that married us told us on the evening he married us, he says ‘one thing you guys have to remember, when you go to bed at night, you don’t go to bed mad at one another,'” Jim recalled. He says that they have been unhappy with each other, but have never gone to bed completely mad at each other.

When I asked the couple what their favorite quality was about each other, Jim replied, “mostly that she puts up with me,” to which Pat smiled and replied, “I don’t have any choice but to put up with you.” The couple seemed as in love Sunday as the day they were married.

When talking about their four children and the joy of celebrating with their family today, Pat said “family means everything,” and explained how they came about building the house that they will have called “home” for 54-years this fall.

“We went out in the country when we used to be on Maysville, and I said, ‘let’s go see if we can find an old house to remodel, restore.’ We hunted, and hunted, and hunted– 54 years ago there wasn’t any. We didn’t want to take the kids out of their school district and he worked out here…so, ‘I guess we’ll have to build us an old house,’ so that’s what we did,” Pat laughed.

“Our kids have done most of their growing up here, and we’d like to stay right here. Becky (daughter) doesn’t know any other home, this is hers. We kind of grew attached to the neighbors and neighborhood, and we just don’t want to leave it,” added Jim.

Pat says every so often everyone will approach them to buy their house but they always tell them it’s not for sale.

Both Jim and Pat said one of their favorite memories with their children is during this time of the year, over the last 12-15 years, they all go up to Canada and go fishing. Then they come back and work all year to save up and do it again the next year, Jim said.

In addition to their four children, the Theisen’s have nine grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren. They joked they stopped counting after 12 great-grandchildren.

When I asked the celebrating couple if they had anything final to say, Pat advised, “if you can possibly keep your self-together and laugh at things, instead of cry and ball over them, you can’t change them anyhow.”

Pat will celebrate her 87th birthday on Monday.