By RIVER POWERS

Special to the News-Times

Gerry and Norm Haveman of Oak Harbor will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary on June 16, 2025 — a remarkable milestone marking a lifetime of love and shared adventure.

The couple’s story began long before their wedding day in 1955. Having known each other since they were in high school, their bond grew over the years until one fateful phone call sealed the deal: While Norm was stationed in San Diego, Gerry picked up the phone and told him to go ahead and ask her to marry him. He did, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Since then, they’ve been practically attached at the hip. Their lives have been centered in Oak Harbor, where Norm served in the Navy and the couple raised their four children. Throughout the decades, they’ve built a life that is not just long-lasting, but full of humor, deep affection and mutual respect.

Their relationship is best described as a beautiful balance, Gerry often providing the direction and Norm faithfully following through. It’s a dynamic that has worked wonderfully for 70 years. They’ve always supported each other’s passions: Gerry with her love for the beach and flowers and Norm with his vegetable garden and his animals. Though they no longer live on property, their lives remain in rhythm, whether it’s enjoying daily puzzles or continuing to cheer each other on in every way.

As their family and community celebrate this incredible milestone, one thing is clear: the Havemans’ marriage is a shining example of love, teamwork and shared joy. Here’s to Gerry and Norm — 70 years strong, and still perfectly in sync.

Norm and Gerry Haveman on their wedding day in June 1955.