Celebrating 69 years of love and life

Shelby Wilt
NLJ Reporter
 
“People are good, but you have to be good yourself in order to live a happy life.” Jean Eisenhauer proposed. “I couldn’t imagine a better life without Del. He has always treated me wonderfully and I just love him so much for it.” 
Del and Jean spent April 3, 2019, celebrating their 69th wedding anniversary together at Mondell Heights, joined by their sons, Bob and Don. 
Shortly after graduating high school in Pinedale and attending a senior seminar, 22-year old Del had taken Jean, 17, out for hamburgers after the banquet and sparks flew from then on out. Despite the fact that it rained and hailed for three weeks in a row, they were married on April 1, 1950 in Kimball, Neb.
They were supposed to be married on the 28th of March. Due to waiting on blood work, they were forced to wait till the next week to marry, and it fell on April Fools day!
While Jean said sparks flew when the couple first met, she admits there may have been other factors involved in her choosing to spend her life with Del.
“I really loved his mother. She was a sweet lady and treated me very well,” Jean explained. She said that when they got married, Del’s mother had told her, “Now when you get married, you better do everything he says and wants you to do!” but Jean said, “Pish Posh!” 
The couple was able, however, to find the secret to a happy marriage.
“You’ve got to be good for the kids and be a happy family. But I’ve got to tell you, some days he is lucky to be alive!” Jean joked. “We’ve got kids, grand-kids, and great grand-kids that we love so dearly. I’ve always made it a point to make sure our family is close to us and close to each other. The secret to any great relationship is the love you put into it.” 
Del was serving in the military, and was sent to Hiroshima after the bomb had been dropped. Jean stayed on the farm with his parents and waited for his return. Del would serve overseas for three years, but they eventually moved to Upton and had six sons: Don, Bob, Dick, John, Paul, and Mark. Del served as the Upton Mayor for 16 years from the 1970’s to the 1980’s, and on the city council for 12 years.
Del and Jean moved into Mondell in August of 2017. They spend their days in a warm room, eating good food, and being cared for by a great staff.
“If he can’t see me, he gets real upset.” Jean explained. “He was staying at the VFW and I was staying in Gillette, but after I fell, we decided it was better to be together in one place, so we moved into Mondell together. I didn’t want him to be alone.”