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Anderson and Marie Vogler didn’t go on a honeymoon when they got married.
They didn’t have any money. America was in the middle of the Great Depression — 73 years ago.
It wasn’t a spur of the moment decision, even though they were young.
“We courted quite awhile before we got married,” Anderson said. “About four or five years.”
And “it was love at first sight,” he added.
The couple grew up and met in Davie County before moving to Rowan in 1936.
They lived through some bad times. “It was rough, but I was lucky. I had a job,” Anderson said.
“He’s been pretty tight all his life,” Marie said, laughing. “But if he hadn’t been, we might not have been able to stay here.”
They didn’t mind not having a big wedding or a honeymoon. Since then, they have gone on a lot of honeymoons.
“We went on a lot of trips,” said Anderson.
“We’d go somewhere just about every month,” Marie added.
Before Anderson retired, he worked as a boilermaker for Duke Power and Carolina Power & Light. That meant traveling all over.
The Voglers have two children, Patty and John. After John, the youngest, went to college, Marie started to travel with her husband.
When Anderson retired in 1972, they went to Jerusalem.
Now, they don’t travel as much. “Our running-around days are over,” Anderson said.
“But,” Marie added, “we don’t give up.”
Now they live at Salisbury Gardens. At 94, Anderson still drives. He takes Marie to all of her doctor appointments and out to eat at K&W Cafeteria.
They do a lot for each other. “He’ll bring me something back if I don’t feel like going to the dining hall,” Marie said.
And, she will take care of him if he gets sick.
“When you love each other,” Marie said,“you wait on them. Unless you are mad at him.”
On their 73rd anniversary — they were married March 29, 1928 — a friend gave them a poem about being together and helping each other through thick and thin.
He always holds her hand when they go into the dining hall, and everyone calls them “love birds.”
On her hand, there is a ring that has not always been there.
When they got married, Anderson bought her a different ring and had it engraved.
After they moved to Rowan County, they were swimming in Second Creek and Marie noticed her hand was shriveling up in the water. Her ring was about to come off.
Anderson told her to close her hand so it wouldn’t, but it fell off before she could stop it.
That’s when he bought her the ring and diamond she still wears today.
When people ask them the secret to a lasting marriage, they smile.
“We’ve always lived close to God,” Marie said. “I think he has always taken care of us.”
And, they have fought, just like all couples do. “We’ve had our ups and downs,” she said.
But they have a secret to making it work: “We always kiss and make up,” she added.
Contact Joanie Morris at 704-797-4264 or jmorris@salisburypost.com
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