Winona Lake Couple Still Happy After 74 Years Of Marriage
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
WINONA LAKE - After 74 years of marriage, Kenneth and Ruth Leininger are still happy together.
On Sunday, the Leiningers will celebrate 74 years of being married and weathering the trials of life together.
"We used to be farmers, then we pastored together, now we play together," Ruth said of the couple's nightly card games that last until midnight.
Ruth, 91, said she once asked a pastor what he would do about men who beat their wives. The pastor said he would speak to her husband, and she said, "Good, because he beat me last night by one point."
But usually, when playing cards, "we come out pretty even," she said.
When asked if there was a secret to the longevity of their marriage, Ruth said, "Ken says it's because every night before we go to bed, he kisses me goodnight and asks if he did something wrong that day, to forgive him."
She said another thing that helped the marriage last so long is that the couple had "a lot of experiences ... a lot of things went wrong." Kenneth, 94, has had physical problems, and Ruth said, "I don't know anything that he hasn't had." He also had more than his share of accidents, including a barn door falling on his back.
When asked if she thought the tragedies brought them closer together, Ruth said, "Yes." She said one time, Kenneth "was so sick, I didn't know what was coming. I went to the garden gate and said, 'Lord, just take him or leave him.'"
The two were married by a justice of the peace in St. Joe, Mich., because it was the fad to get married there, Ruth said. But during the Depression, the two could not afford to take a honeymoon.
They came back to the Akron area where Kenneth's family had a farm, and took over the farming duties. They went on to have three daughters, who are married and now live in California, Michigan and Iowa. Ruth couldn't count how many grandchildren the couple have, but she said they do have three great-great-grandchildren.
Ruth said Ken refused the Lord's call to become a minister for seven years. But,"the Lord pulled him and wouldn't let him loose till he did (go into ministry)," Ruth said.
The couple lived and ministered to Church of God congregations throughout Indiana, Pennsylvania and Iowa for almost 37 years.
They came back to Winona Lake where Kenneth served as the associate pastor at the Church of God for five years. After Ken retired as a minister, the couple moved into Grace Retirement Village 4-1/2 years ago, and Ruth said they like it.
The two attended grade school together, then were separated when Ken moved away. But they met later when Ruth was a friend of Ken's cousin.
After Ken took Ruth home from a box supper, "he wouldn't leave after that time ... and he kept coming back," she said.
"I couldn't get rid of Ken. I said, 'Don't come back,' and he came back the next Saturday night," she laughed.
But once the couple were married, they felt that marriage was for life, Ruth said.
"We've had so many other anniversaries, we were going to wait one more year," Ruth said, to host a party to celebrate their 75th anniversary. "We've done it so many times, we're not going to do it anymore." [[In-content Ad]]
WINONA LAKE - After 74 years of marriage, Kenneth and Ruth Leininger are still happy together.
On Sunday, the Leiningers will celebrate 74 years of being married and weathering the trials of life together.
"We used to be farmers, then we pastored together, now we play together," Ruth said of the couple's nightly card games that last until midnight.
Ruth, 91, said she once asked a pastor what he would do about men who beat their wives. The pastor said he would speak to her husband, and she said, "Good, because he beat me last night by one point."
But usually, when playing cards, "we come out pretty even," she said.
When asked if there was a secret to the longevity of their marriage, Ruth said, "Ken says it's because every night before we go to bed, he kisses me goodnight and asks if he did something wrong that day, to forgive him."
She said another thing that helped the marriage last so long is that the couple had "a lot of experiences ... a lot of things went wrong." Kenneth, 94, has had physical problems, and Ruth said, "I don't know anything that he hasn't had." He also had more than his share of accidents, including a barn door falling on his back.
When asked if she thought the tragedies brought them closer together, Ruth said, "Yes." She said one time, Kenneth "was so sick, I didn't know what was coming. I went to the garden gate and said, 'Lord, just take him or leave him.'"
The two were married by a justice of the peace in St. Joe, Mich., because it was the fad to get married there, Ruth said. But during the Depression, the two could not afford to take a honeymoon.
They came back to the Akron area where Kenneth's family had a farm, and took over the farming duties. They went on to have three daughters, who are married and now live in California, Michigan and Iowa. Ruth couldn't count how many grandchildren the couple have, but she said they do have three great-great-grandchildren.
Ruth said Ken refused the Lord's call to become a minister for seven years. But,"the Lord pulled him and wouldn't let him loose till he did (go into ministry)," Ruth said.
The couple lived and ministered to Church of God congregations throughout Indiana, Pennsylvania and Iowa for almost 37 years.
They came back to Winona Lake where Kenneth served as the associate pastor at the Church of God for five years. After Ken retired as a minister, the couple moved into Grace Retirement Village 4-1/2 years ago, and Ruth said they like it.
The two attended grade school together, then were separated when Ken moved away. But they met later when Ruth was a friend of Ken's cousin.
After Ken took Ruth home from a box supper, "he wouldn't leave after that time ... and he kept coming back," she said.
"I couldn't get rid of Ken. I said, 'Don't come back,' and he came back the next Saturday night," she laughed.
But once the couple were married, they felt that marriage was for life, Ruth said.
"We've had so many other anniversaries, we were going to wait one more year," Ruth said, to host a party to celebrate their 75th anniversary. "We've done it so many times, we're not going to do it anymore." [[In-content Ad]]