"'She loved this place.'

"These simple words adorn a beautiful bronze plaque, mounted on a brick and limestone column at the entryway into the retirement village. This message honors Sue, Bob Chamberlin’s late wife of sixty-eight years.

"After her death, Bob designed the plaque for Sue, who had loved every minute of her life at the retirement community. At ninety-eight, Bob confesses that the plaque really was created to comfort him in the loss of his beloved wife."

In a society which pays far too little respect to its elders, authors Kim Morin and Rita Blockman did an unusual and wonderful thing--they interviewed and tape-recorded the life stories of individuals between the ages of 88 and 104. Their book, Listen to the Wisest of All, is a series of vignettes which detail the lives of men and women who lived through the World Wars and the Great Depression.

The excerpt below deals with the greatest and sometimes most elusive of all things--a good marriage. In it, 98-year-old Bob Chamberlin, who was married to his late wife for 68 years, discusses their lives together.

Their marriage reminds me of my parents, who celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary in December (see A Brief Tribute to My Parents on Their 45th Anniversary). 

I'm giving my mom a copy of this book for Mother's Day, for two reasons. One, it's a good book. Two, reading about the 98-year-olds will make my mom feel young...

Bob Chamberlin's Story
(Excerpted from Listen to the Wisest of All by Kim Morin and Rita Blockman)

"She loved this place.”

These simple words adorn a beautiful bronze plaque, mounted on a brick and limestone column at the entryway into the retirement village. This message honors Sue, Bob Chamberlin’s late wife of sixty-eight years. After her death, Bob designed the plaque for Sue, who had loved every minute of her life at the retirement community. At ninety-eight, Bob confesses that the plaque really was created to comfort him in the loss of his beloved wife. However, the plaque has proved to be very popular among the residents, as demonstrated by the large crowd present for its dedication ceremony. It is gratifying to know that simplicity can be so meaningful and profound.

“Simplicity” was a theme that permeated our discussions with Bob. In talking about his marriage, he states that one of the high points of their marriage came in their early years, when they were living a simple life in which they fished and lived off the land.

Bob’s first job was in Bighorn Mountain, at a forest preserve 10,000-feet high. He and his wife lived there in a one-room cabin, and they both loved the challenge of the hard living conditions and primitive setting. He remembers that Sue learned to fly fish, and they ate fish almost every night. In a voice heavy with emotion, Bob states, “Fancy amenities don’t make one happy. It was these simple times in nature that we treasured. My wife and I had a good marriage. It was based on mutual trust.” He added, “I always had a feeling of satisfaction every day working with someone who sympathized, knew my high spots, and fed my low spots, which helped even things out. We each appreciated the other’s interests.” They loved and raised two children together, a son and daughter.

She brought a new perspective to my life coming from Europe. Sue was born and raised in France. Her father was a colonel in the French cavalry and, unfortunately, he died in the First World War. Sue’s brother was a few years older than she, and her mother was terribly worried that he would get drafted into the French army. All their kin had been in the army since Napoleonic days.

Sue’s mother completely uprooted her family, came to the United States, learned English, and established a life for her two children. Ultimately, Sue was the only heir remaining in her family, and she received a citation given to her great-great-great-grandfather, who was an officer with Napoleon in 1810 at the height of the latter’s career. The citation reads that he was well recognized as a longtime and loyal citizen under Napoleon. This Legion of Honor award is like our Congressional Medal of Honor. Bob had it framed. Because the seal of Napoleon was so thick, they had to cut the glass from the frame.

Bob is very proud of Sue’s many accomplishments. He explains that she was quite proficient in languages. He marvels at how, in her job at a bank, she could take dictation from the vice-president of foreign trade and translate it into French instantaneously. She would then retype it in English or Italian or German. Bob still has great appreciation and respect for his beloved late wife, and his memories of her and their life together clearly help to sustain him now that she is gone.

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