In a society where divorce is commonplace, it’s becoming harder and harder to find couples like Ed and Isabel Triest.
The longtime Oxford residents will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary on Wednesday, Aug. 5.
‘We like to spend time together,? said Ed, who’s well-known in the community for having owned and operated Ed’s Sunoco station at the corner of Washington and Lincoln streets from 1957 until December 2002.
The Triests are originally from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. They grew up about 5 miles apart for each other. Ed was in Spalding while Isabel was a Hermansville native.
Ed was fresh out of the U.S. Navy when he met Isabel at one of the many dances held in Yooper country back then.
‘They had them all over,? Ed said. ‘There was usually a dance someplace every Saturday.?
‘There wasn’t much else to do,? Isabel noted.
Ed left the U.P. to work for General Motors in Pontiac and Isabel followed. The couple was married in St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Pontiac.
They spent some time in Pontiac and then Lake Orion before finally settling down in Oxford in 1961. They still live in the same home on Seymour Lake Rd.
Over the years, they raised three children ? Brian, Ann (Wilkins) and Eddie. They’re now grandparents to Elizabeth and Joseph Wilkins.
A couple doesn’t stay married for six-and-a-half decades without learning a thing or two along the way.
So, what’s the best advice the Triests can offer today’s young couples?
Isabel believes it’s always best to focus on your spouse’s good qualities, the reasons why you love them.
‘I think that’s good advice,? she said. ‘Nobody’s perfect, so you just have to concentrate on (their) good points.?
To Isabel, Ed’s good points are his sense of humor and his hardworking nature.
‘He went out and bought a power-washer and spent three hours power-washing the house last week,? she said. ‘There aren’t too many 88-year-olds that go out and do things like that. He looks for things to do.?
‘Try not to argue? was Ed’s advice.
‘It’s not easy, but try,? he said.
That being said, Ed enjoys the fact that Isabel is ‘feisty? when it comes to speaking her mind and expressing her feelings.
‘She’s a good person,? he said. ‘I just love her. She’s my partner in life.?
Ed encouraged husbands and wives to be helpful to each other and appreciate all the little things your spouse does for you on a daily basis.
Spending time together is also key. It can be as simple as sharing dinner or as grand as traveling the world as the Triests often did.
Over the years, successful gasoline sales at the Sunoco station earned the Triests trips to exotic destinations all over the globe. Between 1987 and 2000, they visited the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Spain, Bermuda, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Nevis and Las Vegas.
‘I think the nicest place is the Virgin Islands,? Isabel noted. ‘The weather was always perfect and it didn’t take long to get there.?
Daughter Ann is inspired by the longevity of her parents? happy union.
‘I’m very proud that they’ve been married for 65 years because I think it sets a very good example for your family,? she said. ‘Through thick and thin, they’ve stayed together. Hard times, good times, they’ve always been there for each other and their children.
‘I think the love and the commitment that they show to each other is what’s made it work. It’s (about) give and take. I think they’re a great example of what a marriage should be.?
The Triests will celebrate their anniversary with a family dinner at the White Horse Inn in Metamora.