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FROMBERG COUPLE CELEBRATES 62 YEARS OF MARRIAGE


By Kathy Mudd
Clarks Fork Reporter

FROMBERG — Walter and Jane Sipes share a special gift — born out of love, patience, trust, and commitment — a relationship that has weathered the test of time and has flourished for 62 years. Walter, who is 90 years old, and Jane, 85, have spent the better part of their lives meeting life's rewards and challenges as a team. And after all these years have held on to all that brought them together those many year's ago.

Walter and Jane's life together began during the depression years when friends talked them into going on a blind date. Whether it was love at first sight or just a hunch that something bigger and better was awaiting them, the two never dated anyone else again. A year later, on January 15, 1938, they took their vows to love, honor, and cherish each other until death parted them. Vows they took seriously then, and still uphold today.


When the Sipes first met, Walter was working as a trucker for C.J. Painter Trucking for $75 a month. They were decent, steady wages at a time when financial instability gripped the nation. Jane too was working as a registered nurse for a hospital owned by Northern Pacific Railroad.

When they married, Jane quit working to begin raising a family. It was a job that Walter believes she did very, very well. "Jane was a good mother and a good manager of the family finances," said Walter.

Three years and three children later, their family was complete. Jacque, Kenny, and Bill grew up in a house where family was important and togetherness was cherished.

By this time the Sipes were living in Billings, and Walter was trucking for Consolidated Freightways. Being a trucker meant being away a lot, and this in itself can strain even the most stable of relationships. Walter and Jane overcame this obstacle by relishing the time they did have together.

A time did eventually come when Jane urged Walter to be home more, so he left his trucking job and went into the gas station business. He owned several stations during his lifetime, and this work brought him closer to home. When their children were all grown, Jane began working again as a nurse and for 10 years worked in pediatrics at Deaconess Hospital.

The challenges couples often face during their adjustment to retirement never really hit the Sipes, because, according to Walter, he never fully retired until he was 80-a mere 10 years ago. Even now he likes to keep busy and spends much of his time raising and enjoying Tennessee Walker horses.

Six years ago Jane suffered a severe back injury, and the couple found themselves needing to make some major adjustments. Walter had to take over more of the day-to-day responsibilities, and though his work load increased, the adjustment, he feels, was hardest for Jane. But as they had in the past, the Sipes met this new challenge together and learned to live with the changes it brought.

While the Sipes don't claim to have any secrets for a successful marriage, they did have some wisdom-learned during 62 years of togetherness-to impart to other married couples.

"Don't hold grudges. You're going to have to talk sooner or later. It might as well be sooner," said Walt. He also cautioned against worrying too much — especially about the things you can't change. Jane stressed trust as a key element in a stable and happy relationship.

Good advice from the voice of experience.