This year has marked a significant marriage milestone for many of our alumni couples. While they have celebrated their 50th anniversaries in different ways, the shared year of their marriages, 1970, is only the beginning for some with regard to the common memories surrounding their wedding events.
On August 22, 1970, three weddings took place. Jay Platte g69 married Shirley Mertz g69 at the Christian & Missionary Alliance Church in Bowling Green, OH; Peter Torry g70 and Jeray Moser g70 were married at Ebeneezer Mennonite Church in Bluffton, OH; and David Jones and Sandy Klopfenstein g71 were married at Grabill Missionary Church in Grabill, IN. It was a day full of weddings! Marsha (Ringenberg) Wright g70 attended two of these three weddings with her then boyfriend Steve Wright fs69. At three o’clock, Marsha participated in the wedding of Jay and Shirley Platte, where she sang with the Collegians in the back of the sanctuary. “It was a wonderful time of seeing non-Collegian friends again and of celebrating the marriage of these two who meant so much to us.” Marsha said in a recent interview. The Collegians stayed and sang at the reception for Jay and Shirley, but Marsha wasn’t there – she was at another wedding!
Shortly after Jay and Shirley’s wedding, Marsha attended the wedding of Peter and Jeray Torry at 7:30 that night. Marsha and Jeray had been roommates for two years, and she was Jeray’s maid of honor. The wedding started an hour late because the flowers didn’t show up on time! At the wedding, Marsha sang Dr. Rene Frank’s version of “The Lord’s Prayer.” (Dr. Frank served FWBC as a professor, performer, and administrator from 1951 to 1965.)
Sadly, Marsha and Steve were not able to attend the wedding of David and Sandy Jones that same day. Marsha and Sandy had been friends ever since they graduated from the church nursery. “I have been making it up to them.” Marsha said. “Steve and I are in their In-House Small Group (formerly known as a Sunday School class) and just attended their 50th anniversary celebration.”
In addition to these three weddings that converged on the same date of August 22nd in 1970, several other alumni weddings occurred that same year. These couples also celebrated their 50th this year: Dick g70 and Cheri (Bruner g73) Armstrong, Roger g69 and Carol (Steiner fs69) Ringenberg, and Doug g71and Pam (Carey g71) Barcalow. It is amazing to see how God has worked in the lives of these couples over the last 50 years. We are thankful for how He has used them to bless both their respective ministries and the Fort Wayne campus and its alumni.
Fruit from the Vine 