65th wedding anniversary for Shoreline couple

Shirley and Marvin Marler
Married 65 years

Marvin Dewey and Shirley Lorene Marler are celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary Thursday, October 20, 2016.

You will find them eating lunch together at the Shoreline - Lake Forest Park Senior Center as they do every week day.

At 88 and 86 years of age, they still volunteer and help out every day at the Center. 

Their son Dewey says, "Currently lunch at the Shoreline Senior Center is their main activity since most of their friends are gone. They plan everything around it from doctor appointments to when family can come visit! We're blessed to have a facility like that to help keep them active and make new friends."

Wedding Day

They met in the Tri-Cities but soon moved to Shoreline where they raised their three children, sons Dewey and Greg and daughter Kim. Greg passed away at the age of 36. They have five grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Kim says, "Their family is their life. Always has been – always will."

There's a family ritual. When one of the family would drive away, Marvin and Shirley would wave goodbye from the back door where cars were parked. Then, as the family member circled the block to leave, Marvin and Shirley would go to the front window to wave as they drove by.

With all of their own children long out of the house, Marvin and Shirley extend their family to the neighborhood children.

Kim says, "They have taken to looking out for the neighborhood kids waiting for the bus right outside their house. My dad opens their garage when it is raining so the kids can come in and stay dry. 

"What I love is how my mom waves at the bus every single morning. She gets up, gets ready so she can wave at a bus of junior high and high schoolers. And they wave back! So wonderful." 

Marvin has a brick on the veterans' memorial at City Hall from when he was in the Navy in WWII. After the Navy he drove big rig semi trucks for 30 years for the Bon Marche delivering to Spokane, Tri-Cities, and Eugene, Oregon.

After the kids were raised Shirley went to work for the Bon Marche as well, working in their distribution warehouse at South Center where they both eventually retired. They enjoyed camping and took their RV across the United States from Florida to Alaska.

No one could have a better testimony than praise and love from their children.

In Kim's words, "My parents are the most humble and selfless people I know. Always giving to others and expecting nothing in return. My brothers and I love them to the moon and back. Our children as well." 

And, we are happy to say, they are regular readers of the Shoreline Area News!