A lifetime of love: Owego couple celebrates 70 years of marriage

By JoAnn R. Walter

Writer

Warren and Bonnie Gray of Owego, N.Y., and long-time residents of Newark Valley, will celebrate their seventieth wedding anniversary on Sept. 7.

Seventy years of marriage is an incredible milestone, and less than one-tenth of one percent of all married couples reach seven decades. Seventy years of marriage is considered the Platinum Anniversary, and where platinum represents strength and deep endurance.

“I am very fortunate to have such a good partner,” Warren said.

Today, Warren is 93, and Bonnie is 90. They married on a Friday evening, Sept. 7, 1956, in the South Kortright, N.Y. United Presbyterian Church. She was 20, and he was 23.

Bonnie said that on the day of the wedding she had worked all day, and then hurried back home to her family farm to get ready for the ceremony.

The couple said that they first met each other at the iconic Bresee’s Health Bar inside the Bresee’s Department Store in Oneonta, N.Y., where Bonnie worked as a waitress. A popular gathering place for locals in the 1950s, Bresee’s was a family- owned retailer that operated for more than 90 years.

Bonnie said that she fondly remembers the special magic that Bresee’s took on at the holiday season. Store windows were decorated in festive colors, and animated holiday figures in the large front windows welcomed the Christmas crowds.

Warren, a college student at Oneonta, frequented Bresee’s restaurant as many did at the time, and said his favorite menu items were coffee and pie. He made note of the store escalator, too, and actually one of the first escalators in central New York.

Bonnie graduated from South Kortright High School, and Warren graduated from Oneonta. Warren went on to study at Utica Tech and SUNY-Oneonta. Also a U.S. Army veteran, Warren served in Alaska, and recalled exactly, “I was in for one year, 11 months, and 13 days.” He said he remains grateful for the military experience, and also the benefits that have helped him in his later years.

Tennis has always been a passion for Warren. While at Oneonta High, Warren and a teammate won the 1952 NYSPHSAA Tennis Doubles Championship. He went on to start and develop successful tennis programs on the high school and college level.

Bonnie noted that Warren played tennis well into his 80s, including against other senior players when they lived in Florida. Many in the Newark Valley area will remember Warren as a teacher in the school district for 32 years, and where he taught ninth grade social studies. He also coached basketball and tennis, and helped with the football program.

Warren and Bonnie recalled a demand for teachers back in the late 1950s, and said that they decided to accept the Newark Valley offer since it was the second highest paid. They also wanted to stay upstate, rather than relocating to the highest paid position on Long Island.

In addition to his teaching and coaching career, Warren was also Newark Valley’s Town and Village Judge for 20 years. The couple went on to raise six children, and today have seven

grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, with two more great-grandchildren on the way.

Bonnie said that five of their six children are retired now, and with the exception of one who lives in Berkshire, have all moved away from the area.

When the children had grown and were pretty much on their own, Bonnie returned to work for several years at the Social Services office in Owego.

A few years ago, Bonnie and Warren sold their long-time home in Newark Valley, in an effort to downsize and live on one level. They found a nice mobile home community nearby.

“We have wonderful neighbors, and we love the neighborhood,” Bonnie said.

The couple reminisced about traveling, too, such as trips to Spain, Hawaii, Cozumel and San Francisco, along with one cruise. Looking back, one of their favorite destinations, though, was closer to home. They camped at Lake Timberline in Friendsville, Pennsylvania for 20 years

and especially enjoyed its quiet atmosphere in a picturesque country setting.

Warren has wise words for married couples.

“You and your spouse should be on the same page,” he said. “Did we always agree, no, but we worked through it— You also have to be on the same page if you have children.”

On the wall near their kitchen is a sign, “A home is not a home without a dog.”

“We’ve always had a dog,” Bonnie said, and when they got married, a beagle named Jack became part of the family before their first child arrived. Today, 70 years later, another four-legged friend is a part of their lives.

The couple said that they will most likely celebrate their 70th anniversary together quietly, and perhaps have a nice dinner.