Yep, we're (almost) famous

This past Sunday, our local newspaper, the Corvallis Gazette-Times, did a story about married couples who were high school sweethearts. Mark and I submitted our story, and I thought you might enjoy reading it.

The picture above (which the newspaper printed) is of Mark and me after our high school graduation ceremony, June 2, 1970. Compare this picture to the picture of us in the upper right corner of our blog's home page, and you'll see that we haven't changed a bit! :-)

The first words we spoke to each other were in German

We live in Philomath, where we both teach school for the Philomath School District. We met in early September, 1969, at the beginning of our senior year at Mount Rainier High School in Des Moines, Wash. (near Seattle). Mark sat behind Jo in our German class, so the first words we spoke to each other were actually said in German!

Our first date, Sept. 12, 1969, was a school gathering to welcome the foreign exchange students who were attending MRHS that year. We were involved in many school activities together, including Homecoming Committee, and we were in charge of transporting our school mascot to football games (we were the Rams, and our mascot was a real, live ram named Ajax!). We graduated the following June, 1970. We later moved to Santa Barbara, Calif. where we attended and graduated from Westmont College together.

What attracted you to your now spouse: Mark: "I was first attracted to Jo because she was cute and athletic in her Pep Club jumper. She had (and still has) a gorgeous smile and a vivacious personality. I loved the fact that she loved sports and cheered for me at my wrestling meets.” Jo: "Of course, I thought Mark was (and still is!) very handsome, and I loved his unfailing kindness to others and his enthusiastic involvement in our high school activities. His dad had been principal of our high school the previous two years, so I was a bit apprehensive about dating ‘the principal’s son,’ but I found his family to be very welcoming and friendly toward me.” We were engaged in April 1972, and were married June 30, 1973, between our sophomore and junior years of college. This June we will celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary.

Our biggest accomplishment and greatest joy has been raising our five wonderful children: Sarah, Jake, Ben, David, and Hannah, who continue to be such a blessing in our lives. We are now enjoying our “empty nest” years very much, and love being “just the two of us” once again. As to what makes our marriage work, we would give credit to God. We feel confident that He brought us together, and our common faith provides great strength and stability in our lives and in our marriage, through both good times and hard times. Also, in addition to our deep love for each other, we have a very strong friendship, which provides a solid foundation for our relationship, and each of us considers the other to be his or her very best friend. Both of us would say that there is no one we would rather spend time with than each other.

Mark and Johanna (Jo) Dorr, Philomath