Every couple that's been married for a significant amount of time is always asked the same question: What's the secret to a happy marriage?

We sought out former senators Larry and Carmen Kasperbauer who recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary to find out. 

Larry and Carmen Kasperbauer still look at one another with adoring eyes, even after 65 years of marriage. 

In their presence you can truly feel and see the love they have for one another and how fitting that they are both wearing blue, 65 years is known as the blue sapphire wedding anniversary.

The two met in the early 1950s while Larry Kasperbauer was attending college at Iowa State University and Carmen Kasperbauer (then Artero), was attending St. Anthony School of Nursing with her future sister-in-law, Mariann, who was her roommate during her freshman year and who she became instant friends with.

She recalls their first encounter, in a science lab where she was dissecting a frog for class.

“We walked into the class, his sister was my classmate and she brought him in to introduce him to me, instead of saying 'Hi, hello, nice to meet you!' I said, oh look, I made a perfect dissection of the central nervous system!” She laughed. 

Several months later, the two would meet again.

Larry shared, “My sister called me because she had a date that night and my mom said she couldn't go because Carmen was visiting there. So my sister called me up at the University of Iowa which was 90 miles away or so, and said- you have to help- come and be a date for my classmate.”

The two would have a memorable evening at star light ballroom.

“I loved to dance. I used to dance jitterbug, samba, and waltz. He was not a dancer, I spent a whole lot of time teaching him how to dance but we both enjoyed it very much,” Carmen shared.

It would be the start of their happily ever after.

 

After talks of marriage, getting engaged, and working hard to save up for the wedding, the couple would exchange vows on Nov. 22, 1958, at the Newman Center Catholic Chapel in front of family and close friends.

In 1967, the Kasperbauers moved to Guam, where they have been ever since. 

Their love continues to serve as the foundation for their family that includes five children: Kevin, Karen, Brian, Steven, and Teresa, 19 grandchildren, 17 great-grand, and 1 great-great grandchild.

Larry said, “we try to lead by example, but we know everybody is their own self and none of your children are going to be like you or maybe how you think they should be because they are all independent.”

So of course, we had to ask, what is the secret to a lasting, loving, and happy marriage?

Carmen shared with us her thoughts, “If you have God centered in your life, no matter how hard things are, you are going to be joyful and happy, and nothing is going to be too hard because when you have God with you, everything will go right no matter how hard it is.”

“I attribute everything that we have through his love and this is part of his material reward. And I hope others who are struggling in their married life can see that if you have God in the center of your married life, you'll be strong,” She added.

The other thing they say they try to adhere to, “If you have any differences or problems, resolve it before you go to sleep.” 

Larry said, “Don't go to sleep facing the opposite way and not talking to each other, resolve it.”

It’s a love that inspires and gives hope to others that forever love does exist.