WASHINGTON (AP) — A 100-year-old man who was supposed to get a shout-out from President Barack Obama Thursday for his long life and lengthy marriage arrived too late and was dropped from the president's prepared remarks.
But Wilbur Faiss, who was supposed to be featured at the top of Obama's remarks at an event in Las Vegas, said he's been assured that to make amends, he'll be invited to the next presidential appearance in Vegas.
Obama's prepared remarks had him hailing Faiss and his wife, Theresa, who are getting ready to celebrate their 79th wedding anniversary. "Wilbur, you're clearly doing something right," Obama said in his advance text.
Want to know the key to a long and happy marriage from an expert?
"Every day ask her how she feels and 'Is there anything I can do for you?' " Wilbur Faiss of Las Vegas said. "And say, 'Honey, I still love you.' "
Faiss, 100, clearly speaks from experience. He and his wife, Theresa, 96, were married more than 78 years ago in Centralia, Ill.
The Worldwide Marriage Encounter announced Tuesday that the Faisses are the winners of its longest-married couple contest for 2012. Three other couples who have longer marriages, and are still alive, have been honored by the faith-based organization in past years, according to Dick Baumback, who oversees the program.
San Bernardino, CA – Worldwide Marriage Encounter, the original faith based marriage enrichment program in the United States, announces the winner of the Longest Married Couple Project to be Wibur & Theresa Faiss of Las Vegas, NV. They have been married 78 years as of Feb. 11, 2012.
The state winners as a result of the project will be announced on Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. There were 256 nominations received from 47 states.
“What a privilege and honor it is to recognize Wilbur & Theresa Faiss for their commitment to marriage,” said Scott and Karen Seaborn, the United States Ecclesial Team for WWME. “We look forward to personally recognizing them on Feb. 11th in their hometown of Las Vegas,” they added. The Seaborns serve with Fr. Tom Griffith, SVD, as the U.S. leadership for the marriage enrichment movement.
The Faiss’ were married April 14, 1933. They met at a roller skating rink in Centralia, IL in 1930. Mr. Faiss said it was” love at first sight.”
The Nevada couple achieved the honor of being the Longest Married Couple based on the over 250 nominations submitted to Worldwide Marriage Encounter beginning in October of last year.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter created this project to highlight marriage in America and to show young couples that marriage really can go the distance. “What an inspiration Mr. & Mrs. Faiss are to all of us. They made a commitment to each other 78 years ago and they have kept that commitment over these many years. They truly are a sign of hope to us all,” the Seaborns said.
The national winners have three children, six grandchildren, five great grandchildren and four great great grandchildren.
The presentation of gifts and acknowledgements to the Faiss’ will be made at 10 am Feb. 11th at the Wilbur & Theresa Faiss Middle School, which is named in honor of them, and is located in Las Vegas.
The state winners will also be presented their certificates and recognitions by Worldwide Marriage Encounter couples, during Valentine’s week.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter has been offering weekend experiences for over 43 years and is considered the original faith-based marriage enrichment program. The programs are continually updated to keep abreast of changes in society, and WWME now offers evening and half-day programs that are presented at parishes and other church facilities. The weekend program, traditionally presented as an overnight experience at a hotel or retreat center, can also be presented at the parish where the couples return to their homes in the evenings. WWME has a presence in over 90 countries, which makes it the largest pro-marriage movement in the world. In North America, the WWME programs are presented in English, Spanish, French, and Korean languages.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter offers married couples the opportunity to spend time together away from the busyness of the world to focus on each other. It offers tools for building and maintaining a strong, Christian marriage in today’s world. To learn more about the Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekends online, go to wwme.org , or you can call 1-800-795-LOVE (English) and 1-800-599-AMOR (Spanish), or contact the WWME Office at (909) 863-9963.
Media inquiries should be directed to:
Dick & Diane Baumbach (321) 544-3440 dickanddiane66@bellsouth.net
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Dec. 13, 2011
2012 LONGEST MARRIED COUPLE PROJECT NOMINATIONS SPONSORED
BY WORLDWIDE MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER RUNNNG AHEAD OF LAST YEAR
San Bernardino, CA – The search for the longest married couple project sponsored by Worldwide Marriage Encounter, the original faith-based marriage enrichment program in this country, enters the family holiday period with over 125 nominations from 36 states.
“It is our hope that we can honor, not only the national longest married couple, but one couple from each state. Based on what we are seeing many family members along with longtime friends are nominating couples for the award”, explained Scott & Karen Seaborn and Fr, Tom Griffith, SVD, the United States Ecclesial Team for WWME.
Dick & Diane Baumbach and Fr. Dick Morse, who serve as the North American Weekend Pillar for the WWME movement and are overseeing the project, added, “We know that traditionally families get together during the holiday period and what a perfect time to nominate parents or grandparents who have been married for a long time.” They also said that couples can nominate themselves for the recognition.
In addition to continuing to accept nominations for couples living in all states, they are particularly being sought from the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont and Wyoming.
Plans call for the Seaborns and Fr. Griffith to personally present the longest married couple in the United States with a special gifts during the February 2012 Valentine’s Week from the Worldwide Marriage Encounter movement. The state winners will be presented their certificates of achievement by Worldwide Marriage Encounter couples.
Nominations, which are open to all husband and wife couples regardless of faith expression, may be submitted by email, regular mail or by calling a special phone number.
The contact information for sending in a nomination, which simply requires the name of the couple, their wedding date and where they currently reside plus a phone or email address, is as follows: email dickanddiane66@bellsouth.net ; regular mail Dick & Diane Baumbach 1430 Scorpious Ct. Merritt Island, FL 32953 and special phone number 321-453-2475. Nominations must be received by January 9th, 2011.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter has been offering weekend experiences for over 42 years and is considered the original faith-based marriage enrichment program. The programs are continually updated to keep abreast of changes in society, and WWME now offers evening and half-day programs that are presented at parishes and other church facilities. The weekend program, traditionally presented as an overnight experience at a hotel or retreat center, can also be presented at the parish where the couples return to their homes in the evenings. WWME has a presence in over 90 countries, which makes it the largest pro-marriage movement in the world. In North America, the WWME programs are presented in English, Spanish, French, and Korean languages.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter offers married couples the opportunity to spend time together away from the busyness of the world to focus on each other. It offers tools for building and maintaining a strong, Christian marriage in today’s world. To learn more about the Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekends online, go to wwme.org , or you can call 1-800-795-LOVE (English) and 1-800-599-AMOR (Spanish), or contact the WWME Office at (909) 863-9963.
Media inquires should be directed to:
Dick & Diane Baumbach (321) 544-3440 dickanddiane66@bellsouth.net
San Bernardino, CA – The annual search is on for the longest married couple in the United States it was announced today by the U.S. leaders of Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WWME), the original faith-based marriage enrichment program in this country.
This is the second consecutive year for the highly acclaimed project recognizing couples for their long marriages. This past February Marshall and Winnie Kuykendall of New Mexico were honored nationally for their 82 years of marriage. There were also 50 state winners recognized for their longest marriages at the same time. There were over 350 couples nominated for the honors during the last event. Winners were selected from nominations submitted.
“Once again we want to honor the longest married couple in the United States as well as in each of the 50 states and territories. The national winners will be recognized during Valentine’s Week 2012, which coincides with World Marriage Day, which is the second Sunday of February,” explained Scott & Karen Seaborn and Fr, Tom Griffith, SVD, the United States Ecclesial Team for WWME.
They added that an Alumni Club has been started for all those couples honored this year and that the Kuykendalls will pass on the U.S. honor to a new couple in 2012. Previous state winners can vie for the national title, but they also are now considered members of the alumni of longest married couples in their individual states. This allows for new couples to be recognized across the country.
“It is an appropriate time in our marriage enrichment ministry to recognize a husband and wife who have been married for many, many years,” the U.S. ecclesial team explained.
Jose and Marilyn Garcia and Fr. Mitch Walters, the North American Ecclesial Team for WWME, added, “We are so pleased that the decision had been made to have this very special activity become an annual project. We believe that this activity will continue to highlight not only the many positive benefits of long term marriages, but also honor those couples that are committed to their marriages.”
The Kuykendalls, who will celebrate their 83 anniversary on Feb. 14 of next year, were also recognized this year by President Barack Obama as well as the New Mexico governor and the state legislature for their longest marriage. Governors from other states also recognized their state winners. There also was congressional recognition on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for the project.
In addition to the longest married couple for the entire United States, recognition will also be given to a couple from each state and territories who has achieved that distinction. In the case of the United States couple, appropriate gifts will be presented to them at a ceremony to be held at their location during Valentine’s week. The state winners will receive personal recognition and a special certificate of achievement from the Worldwide Marriage Encounter movement.
Nominations, which are open to all husband and wife couples regardless of religious affiliation, may be submitted by email, regular mail or by calling a special phone number. The process will be overseen by Dick & Diane Baumbach and Fr. Dick Morse, who serve as the North American Weekend Pillar for the WWME movement.
The contact information for sending in a nomination, which simply requires the name of the couple, their wedding date and where they currently reside plus a contact phone or email address of the individual nominating the couple, is as follows: email dickanddiane66@bellsouth.net ; regular mail Dick & Diane Baumbach 1430 Scorpious Ct. Merritt Island, FL 32953 and special phone number 321-453-2475. Nominations must be received by January 10th, 2012.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter has been offering weekend experiences for over 42 years and is considered the original faith-based marriage enrichment program. The programs are continually updated to keep abreast of changes in society, and WWME now offers evening and half-day programs that are presented at parishes and other church facilities. The weekend program, traditionally presented as an overnight experience at a hotel or retreat center, can also be presented at the parish where the couples return to their homes in the evenings. WWME has a presence in over 90 countries, which makes it the largest pro-marriage movement in the world. In North America, the WWME programs are presented in English, Spanish, French, and Korean languages.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter offers married couples the opportunity to spend time together away from the busyness of the world to focus on each other. It offers tools for building and maintaining a strong, Christian marriage in today’s world. To learn more about the Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekends online, go to wwme.org, or you can call 1-800-795-LOVE (English) and 1-800-599-AMOR (Spanish), or contact the WWME national office at (909) 863-9963.
Media inquires should be directed to:
Dick & Diane Baumbach (321) 544-3440 dickanddiane66@bellsouth.net
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