Tricia: Tonight we are proud to honor you, Mom and Dad, as you celebrate your Golden Wedding Anniversary.Please join us as we reminisce about a beautiful love story that began a little over fifty years ago.
Terry: Hey kids, do youever wonder where your future husband or your future wife is living right this very minute? When Grandpa Maurice was a young boy playing with his family and friends right here in Mexico, I’ll bet he never imagined that his beautiful bride-to-be was an energetic, happy young girl living half way around the world and speaking another language!
Tricia: And I’ll bet Grandma Nellie never dreamed that she would marry a handsome, talented and romantic young man from Mexico!
Terry: Let’s take a moment to go back in time and sail across the Atlantic ocean to a large home in a beautiful wooded area in Hilversum, Holland. As we travel back in time, let’s listen to a little Dutch song sung by Lauren, Johanna and Michael.
Tricia: If we could peek in on the Beuk home in 1941, we would probably see a beautiful 11-year old girl headed out the door on her bicycle to the indoor swimming pool on Kapelstreet. Mom loved to swim. Until she cut them off against her mother’s wishes, she would tuck her long, blonde pigtails under her swimming cap before diving into the cold water. She won her first medal when she was 11 years old, and soon afterward had won many more. She even trained for the Olympics and swam in international swimming meets in Europe!
Terry: While Mom was swimming, Dad was right here in Mexico learning how to "do it all" in the old pioneer style. He was harvesting vegetables from the family garden, helping out in the Bowman flour mill,learning to play musical instruments and to paint, helping his mother around the house, participating in church activities and trying to keep up with his 5 older brothers and 2 older sisters. But Dad especially enjoyed breaking and training horses and spending time on the ranch. Bruce and his family are going to sing Allá en el Rancho Grande.
Tricia: Let’s go back to Holland and jump forward a few years later. When Mom was 16, Mom and Oma invited the missionaries into their home, and eventually they joined the Church. Mom’s great faith helped her choose to keep the Sabbath Day holy over training and swimming on Sundays. Thiswas a big sacrifice for her, but it helped her testimony grow. And three years later, Mom started on a big adventure: she decided to immigrate toAmerica. She crossed the ocean with her brother Jack on a big ship named the "Veendam". They were headed to Utah. While Mom started to learn to speak English more fluently, she also got involved in competitive swimming again and won more trophies and medals. She even attended BYU and was fun-loving and very popular.
Terry: Meanwhile, Dad traveled to Utah from Mexico for a visit. He was staying in Salt Lake City with his brother Donn when one of the most important days of his life arrived: Sunday, April 11, 1952.
Tricia: But Dad didn’t know that this day would change his life. He woke up that morning like any other Sunday morning. He took a shower, got dressed in his Sunday clothes, had breakfast and then went to Sunday School. He didn’t know that Mom was visiting her parents that weekend. He didn’t know that she was going to attend the same Sunday School that day with Oma, Opa and with her sister Tina. And he definitely didn’t know that he was about to fall in love!
Terry: Aunt Tina had told Mom about a really handsome and neat guy in the Ward, and even told Mom, "Youlay off, Nellie; this one is for me!" Mom told Tina not to worry. Afterall, Mom was waiting for Corey, her missionary, to come home from his mission. But during the hymn for Sunday School opening exercises, Mom stole a glance across the room and saw a very attractive and handsome young man in a gray suit. He had dark, wavy hair and was singing his heart out. "Well," she thought. "I’ve got to meet him somehow."
Tricia: They met just a little later. As they went to Sunday School classes, Mom and Dad ended up sitting by each other. When she smiled at him and he smiled back, her heart did flip-flops because he had the bluest eyes she had ever seen! She leaned over and asked if he was visiting. When he said "yes", she said, "So am I!"
Terry: After Sunday School was over, they walked out of the building together. Mom found out that Dad was from Mexico, and she wondered where on earth Mexico was. Dad noticed Mom’s accent, and discovered she was from Holland. Hoping to see her again, Dad asked Mom if she was going to join the choir.
Tricia: Although Mom had never sung a note in her life, she enthusiastically said "Yes, I’ll join thechoir!" And later that day, Mom and Dad were sitting by one another in choir. But they didn’t sing much, they were too interested in learning more about each other.
Terry: Dad walked Mom home from choir. And then they went on another walk! As they began to share stories of their lives with each other, a spark of love was ignited, and by that evening they were both head-over-heels in love!!! They felt so at-ease with each other, it was as if they had known each other before they had met. It was an enchanted evening.
Tricia: Mom and Dad saw each other every day that first week. Mom swam her very best as Dad cheered for Mom at her swimming meet. And Mom handed him the trophies she won.
Terry: They spent Thursday evening at Temple Square, and slipped into the Tabernacle to hear the Tabernacle Choir rehearse. That’s when Dad first held Mom’s hand, and Mom was sure that the whole Tabernacle Choir had suddenly turned into a host of Angels! She new this was the man she was going to marry.
Tricia: Saturday night they went to a party together. After the party, when they were alone, Dad took out his guitar and accompanied himself as he sang romantic songs to the beautiful woman who had won his heart. After singing a song called "Bésame Mucho" (which means "kiss me a lot"), Dad and Mom kissed for the first time. This was true love!
Terry: Their first 3 weeks together flew by. Then Dad had to return to Mexico to get a student visa before he could come back to Utah to live. He was gone for three weeks, probably the longest three weeks of their lives! But during this time they each were each dreaming of each other and of their blossoming love.
Tricia: Dad finally returned from Mexico and was reunited with his new love. As Mom and Dad spent time together, they would often go to a favorite grassy spot of theirs on the hill just East of the Capitol Building in Salt Lake. Here they would spend time together, read the scriptures and just talk. Ever the romantic, Dad would usually bring along his guitar and play for Mom. Maybe he sang this song to her:
Terry: On the afternoon of the second Sunday in June 1952, Dad had a specific plan in mind. Mom and Dad were on the lawn by the Capitol building. They had had a small misunderstanding earlier. As Dad put hisarms around Mom to propose, Mom thought she heard him say, "Are you mad at me?"
Tricia: So she replied, "Of course not!"
Terry: Then Dad looked puzzled, and said, "What?"
Tricia: So Mom asked, "what did you say?"
Terry: Dad repeated "Will you marry me?" showing her a beautiful diamond ring.
Tricia: And Mom immediately and enthusiastically answered, "Of course I will !!!"
Terry: Although Mom’s unexpected initial reply had shocked Dad for a moment, he then slipped the ring on her finger and they were officially engaged!
Tricia:They set their wedding date for a month later, July 25, 1952. Ever since they met and fell in love, Dad and Mom have always kept that special "sparkle" in their marriage.
Terry: They truly love each other. I guess Dad has figured outthat the only way he can really "handle" Mom is to simply love her.
Tricia: Mom and Dad chose the Salt Lake Temple for their wedding. They were married in the temple because they loved each other so much that they wanted to be together forever. A week before they were married, Oma was able to go to the temple for the first time so she could attend the wedding. Having Oma attend the wedding is one of Mom’s most precious memories.
Terry: Dad’s mother,Grandma Jennie Bowman, was also able to attend. She traveled all the way up to Utah from Mexico. And in those days it wasn’t an easytrip. Grandpa Bowman, Dad’s father, sent$200 as a wedding present. Mom and Dadhad officially begun their lives together.
Tricia: Mom and Dad had a beautiful garden reception at Uncle Thel’s home in Salt Lake. Then they headed for Mexico for a wedding reception there.
Terry: After crossing the border, Mom was amazed that Dad knew which cow path to take, there were no highways back then from the border to Dublan! On the way to Dublan, Dad stopped in front of a little adobe house in dusty old Ascencion and said, "We’re here!"
Tricia: Mom’s heart sank to her shoes, but then she took a deep breath, and thought to herself, "Well, I’m going to have to make the best of this!" This was worlds away from beautiful, green Holland, or even Salt Lake City. When Dad started laughing, Mom wasn’t sure she appreciated that joke.
Terry: Their wedding reception in Dublan was memorable. I’ll bet neither Mom nor Dad ever dreamed then that they would spend almost 40 of their 50 years together living in Dublan.
Tricia: Fifty years have gone by since Mom and Dad were married. These fifty years have included many happy times, many sacrifices, some sad times, but always lots of love. Let’s take a look around the room. Do you realize that none of us would be here tonight if Mom and Dad had not been married?
Terry: Mom and Dad, we are so happy that you found each other. We want you to know how much we love, admire and respect you. And tonight more than ever, we honor you as you celebrate 50 glorious and wonderful years together. We are privileged to be a part of your lives.
Tricia: And we are so happy that you have started an eternal family. Your grandchildren would like to honor you now as they sing "Families Can Be Together Forever."
Terry: The sun has risenmore than 18,000 times since your wedding day. We’re sure that the majority of those days were spent in our service. We love you for your sacrifices on our behalf, as well as for sharing your love with us.
Tricia: We also enjoy seeing you together, and know that you love each other. Some of us remember hearing you sing "Do You Love Me" from Fiddler on the Roof. We would love to hear you sing that song for us to end our program and our tribute to you. And then we will watch the slide show you have prepared for us that highlights your lives together and with us.
End with Slide Show.