Sixty-Six Years of Faithfulness

May 29th, 2026

Today marks a remarkable milestone in our family as my parents, Stanley and Elisabeth Ilin, celebrate their 66th wedding anniversary.

Sixty-six years.

When you stop and think about it, that number represents a lifetime of shared memories, challenges overcome, prayers answered, children raised, grandchildren cherished, and countless ordinary days lived faithfully together.

Today, their celebration is simple. My sister Lori made sure they had one of their favorite meals to enjoy together. At 91 years old, Dad and 84 years old, Mom are still living independently and continue to find joy in life's quieter moments.

Dad spends much of his time these days sitting on the back patio, soaking up the sunshine and watching the hummingbirds dart through the yard. He still enjoys watching Lawrence Welk reruns, a connection to the music he has loved for most of his life. In his younger years, Dad played the accordion, and those familiar melodies still bring him joy.

Mom remains the family historian and encourager. She somehow manages to keep track of birthdays, anniversaries, and special occasions for an ever-growing family. Cards, phone calls, and thoughtful messages continue to flow from her hands and heart.

Life now is simple...filled with eating, sleeping, visiting, and enjoying the company of those who stop by. Dion and I make a point of visiting once or twice each week. My sister Lori and her family live nearby and lovingly ensure that Mom and Dad never lack for anything. My other sister travels from Oregon every few months to spend time with them and calls regularly in between visits.

They are deeply loved.

The grandchildren adore them. The great-grandchildren know them affectionately as Oma and Opa. For the younger great-grandchildren, a highlight of every visit is when Oma pulls out the small collection of toys waiting just for them.

...But the story of their marriage began long before any of us were here.

Mom and Dad were married on May 29th, 1960, at the Church of the Brethren in McPherson, Kansas.

At the time, Dad was attending McPherson College, studying biology before eventually being accepted into dental school in Kansas City, Missouri. Mom was a talented seamstress who altered garments and created beautiful custom dresses.

They did not begin married life with wealth or abundance.

Like many young couples starting out, they stretched every dollar and relied on simple meals—lots of macaroni and cheese among them. Yet they built something far more valuable than financial security. They built a life rooted in faith, perseverance, and commitment.

Their journey to America was not an easy one.

Both Mom and Dad immigrated to the United States after spending time in Austrian refugee resettlement camps following World War II. It was there that they met. Dad came to America first, uncertain whether Mom would ever be able to follow. For years they corresponded through letters, holding onto hope while separated by an ocean and an uncertain future.

Eventually, Mom was able to come to America as well.

They never forgot the opportunities and freedoms they found here. Their gratitude for this country became part of the legacy they passed down to their children and grandchildren—a deep appreciation for freedom, hard work, faith, and family.

The scars of World War II were never far from their story. Both lost loved ones during the war. They experienced hardship, displacement, uncertainty, and grief. Yet rather than becoming bitter, they learned to lean on God.

That faith became the foundation of their marriage.

It guided them through the struggles of young adulthood, through raising a family, through careers, illnesses, losses, celebrations, and every season in between. Their trust in Christ became a gift passed down through generations.

As I reflect on their sixty-six years together, I realize the greatest inheritance they have given our family is not material. It is the example of a husband and wife who remained faithful—to God and to one another. In a world where commitment often feels temporary, they have shown us what enduring love looks like. Not a perfect love, but a steadfast one. A love strengthened by prayer, sacrifice, forgiveness, perseverance, and faith.

Today, our family celebrates not only an anniversary but a legacy.

A legacy of faith.

A legacy of family.

A legacy of staying true to the promises made before God sixty-six years ago.

Thank you, Dad and Mom, for staying faithful to God and to each other all these years.

Your lives have blessed more people than you will ever know, and your legacy continues to live on through every child, grandchild, and great-grandchild who calls you Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Oma, and Opa.

Happy 66th Anniversary.

We love you.

From your daughter,

Debra (Debbie)

(who arrived just one year later—and became the beginning of a whole new chapter in your story.)