West Bend, WI – In a world that moves quickly, where change seems constant and commitments sometimes fleeting, the enduring love story of Joyce and George Schowalter of West Bend, WI is a reminder of what it means to truly share a life together.
June 18 marked the Schowalter’s 70th wedding anniversary. Although the official date fell on a Wednesday, family and friends will gather to celebrate the milestone on Saturday, June 21—honoring not just the length of their marriage, but the depth of their journey.
A Midwest Beginning
Joyce and George grew up just a couple miles apart in rural Washington County—Joyce on a 40-acre farm in Germantown off Pilgrim Road, just north of the old MacArthur School, and George in Rockfield.
Though they didn’t attend the same school, they saw each other regularly at Christ Evangelical & Reformed Church, now known as the Deutsch Evangelische Kirche Museum, and their families had known each other for years.
They each forged their own paths after high school—Joyce graduated from Menomonee Falls High School in 1950 and worked at Rockfield Canning Company before taking a unique opportunity as a governess at a Winnebago Indian Mission School in Neillsville, Wisconsin.
Meanwhile, George, a 1948 graduate of West Bend High School, initially pursued math education at Mission House College (now Lakeland University) near Sheboygan, before feeling a deeper calling to ministry and enrolling in seminary on the same campus.
Their courtship deepened during those years apart. And in 1955, at ages 22 and 24, the two joined hands and hearts in marriage.
Joyce wore a gown from Schuster’s department store in Milwaukee—a delicate dress with lace that, while “scratchy,” became a cherished piece of family history. That gown was later worn by their granddaughter at the couple’s 50th anniversary and repurposed into a baptismal dress for great-grandchildren.
Their cake, made by a family friend in Kiel, traveled carefully in the back seat of the car to their reception—cradled on a pillow.
Together, Joyce and George raised five children, building a life guided by faith, compassion, and steadfast commitment. George’s call to ministry led them to parishes across Wisconsin, while Joyce served as a grounding force for the family, always returning to the values instilled on her childhood farm.
Theirs is not just a story of love, but of resilience. From farm chores and cow herding down Pilgrim Road, to seminary studies and the busy years of parenthood, the Schowalters leaned on each other and their shared faith through every season of life.
A Living Legacy
Now both in their 90s, Joyce and George reflect not just on the years behind them, but the generations that have come after. Their wedding photo—taken outside Joyce’s childhood farmhouse, the barn long since dismantled and relocated by Amish builders—still evokes the promise of their early years.
While the world has changed around them, one thing has remained the same: the quiet strength of a couple who made their vows and kept them.
As family gathers to celebrate their 70th anniversary, the event isn’t just about a number on the calendar. It’s about honoring a legacy of love, laughter, sacrifice, and grace—a true testament to the beauty of a life well shared.
Congratulations, Joyce and George. Here’s to 70 years of love—and the lifetime it took to get there.
WELCOME
THE GRACE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST,
AND THE LOVE OF GOD,
AND THE COMMUNION AND FELLOWSHIP
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BE WITH YOU ALL.
AND ALL OF GOD’S PEOPLE SAID….AMEN
Welcome to this special time of covenanting
As we gather together to celebrate the wedding
of ……
INTRODUCTION
Weddings are happy times.
I love them.
I love working with people as they plan for their marriage.
I love to see the twinkle in their eyes.
And share their hopes and dreams for life together.
I am happy that you have come to this place to celebrate what may well be one of the most memorable moments of your life.
I am glad that you have called upon your family and friends to share this moment with you.
We live in an age where many people question and challenge the institution of marriage.
I rejoice that you have decided to become married in this place designated for the worship of God.
It is good that together we seek God’s blessings, for we know, without that blessing marriage cannot reach its fullest potential.
I applaud your for taking special effort to make this your service by carefully choosing the Scriptures to be read, the song to be sung and have taken time to give special thought to the covenant you are about to share.
Therefore …with our love and our prayers,
we come to support you……
as you now freely commit your lives to each other.
VOWS OF INENTION
I believe God has called you to this covenant of marriage.
Now before God and this assemble I ask you to affirm your willingness to enter this new relationship and share all its joys and sorrows, whatever the future may hold.
_______________will you have_____________
to be your wife……
_______________will you have________________
to be your husband……..
to live together as friend and mate
Will you love… HER/HIM … as a person,
respect here as an equal,
sharing joy as well as sorrow,
and keep HER/HIM beside you as long as you both live.
If so, please respond by saying ….I WILL
BLESSING OF PARENTS
(please stand)
The union of _________________and_____________
Brings together two traditions.
Theirs is a personal choice and a decision for which they are primarily responsible.
Yet their life will be enriched by the support of the families from which each comes.
__________________________________________
Do you offer your prayerful blessing
and loving support to this marriage?
If so, please say……WE DO
Optional
TO THE CONGREGATION GATHERED
Do you as a people of God gathered here in this time and place…pledge your support and encouragement to the covenant commitment that…..
____________________and_________________
are making today?
If so, please say…..WE DO
RING EXCHANGE
YOU ARE MY LIFE,
MY LOVE,
AND MY BEST FRIEND.
THIS RING IS A SYMBOL
OF MY ETERNAL LOVE,
MY EVERLASTING FRIENDSHIP,
AND THE PROMISE
OF ALL MY TOMORROWS.
