Follow Herman and Tillie’s advice for a happily ever afterWhile working on the 2005 Bridal Review (see the insert in this week’s paper) I came across a feature story I wrote five years ago on Luverne’s Herman and Tillie Bork who were observing their 60th wedding anniversary at the time. Sixty years!The word that came to mind five years ago was "inspiring." Herm and Tillie epitomized — in my eyes anyway — what good old-fashioned Midwestern romance is all about.When asked to recall what brought them together 60 years ago, straight answers were few and far between the light-hearted ribbing."I felt sorry for him," Tillie said with a wink and a shrug. "And there were seven girls and two boys in my family and I think Dad was anxious to get rid of one."Herman was an only child whose parents died when he was 19. That was after he bore the adult responsibility of caring for them as a mere teenager.Tillie had the luxury of family support, but she lost her mother at the tender age of 14 and learned early on that good things in life come with a price.The two met through the Christian Reformed Church youth group in Doon, Iowa, and with little ado, tied the knot on Jan. 25, 1940. Herman was 23 and Tillie was 20.The ceremony took place in her family's large home on their farm near Rock Rapids. They recall it being a pleasant affair, but it was bitterly cold that day, with temperatures plunging 17 degrees below zero."That's why we didn't honeymoon," Herman joked. "It was too cold … unless you had enough money go to all the way south."After the wedding, he drove off with his bride in his black 1934 Ford Coupe with a V8 engine. Tillie must have loved him, because she left the modern conveniences of her Rock Rapids home to spend what would have been their honeymoon cleaning and fixing their farm house near Holland. "It didn't even have electricity," she said. "I was so homesick."What advice would they give to couples taking the plunge today? "Be true to your vows," Herman said. Someone must have been paying attention to that advice in the Bork household, because their four boys are well on their way to high-numbered anniversaries of their own.Orv and Barb Bork, Luverne, have been married 45 years. Wally and Linda Bork, Rapid City, S.D., have been married 40 years. Harley and Linda Bork, Jasper, are on 36 years and Don and Marcia Bork, Beaver Creek are at 32.Again, the word that comes to mind is "inspiring." Here’s a couple that lived happily ever after without a $5,000 gown, designer cake and honeymoon cruise. So what did they have that nearly 50 percent of failed marriages today don’t? A little bit of good fortune and whole lot of common sense."Don't worry about every little thing," Tillie said. "If you can't have exactly what you want, be thankful for what you have."Herman and Tillie observed their 65th wedding anniversary Tuesday. Congratulations, and thanks for the inspiration.
