Pat and Dick Kruse celebrate 60th Anniversary

Dick and Pat Kruse, Anchorage residents and also snowbirds in Sun Lakes, AZ, recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in Newport, Oregon.

They met in 1953 when Dick happened to stop by the place where Pat and her nursing friends were having a party and Dick was home from the Marine Corp’s Service.

They were married in 1955 on June 25 in Hibbing MN. Minneapolis became their home as Dick was finishing his schooling. He became gainfully employed as an accountant and Pat continued her nursing career. With an eye on Alaska they moved to Seattle in 1956. In 1960 Dick secured employment in Alaska. He left first to find them housing, and Pat, with two small children, Kim and Rick, followed shortly thereafter. Another child, Carol, was born in 1962.

At the time Anchorage had a population of 32,000 and rental housing was minimal but Dick was able to find a duplex rental in the Turnagain area.

In the ‘60s Dick obtained his private pilot’s license. In 1975 he began commercial fishing in Cook Inlet for 28 years on his beloved boat, the Lady K, while he still continued to be employed full time. Dick is an avid sports fan and traveled yearly for 25 years for the Seahawks plus the University of Washington football games. He also loved his hunting, sport fishing and the outdoors. A cabin at Summit Lake was enjoyed when the entire family was not camping elsewhere.

Pat continued her nursing career beginning at the original Providence Hospital located in the now downtown area. In 1963 the new Providence Hospital was completed at its current location. The great Alaskan earthquake occurred in 1964. Pat and her colleagues worked an 18-hour shift and then returned after a brief break. Prior to Pat’s retirement she was Assistant Administrator of Nursing Services. She also volunteered for the health fairs, Bean’s Café, the Brother Francis Shelter and belonged to AWC, Mt. McKinley lioness and is a current member of P.E.O. Chapter J.

The festive and fun-filled anniversary celebration, plus college graduations, birthday and another anniversary included the entire family at Newport Beach, Oregon. A big plus was the surprise visit from Pat’s sister, Vicki Majewski, from MN. Vicki was the flower girl at their wedding. She waltzed in with the wedding march playing dressed in a tutu with colors from the wedding and strewed flowers as she did 60 years ago. Hosts for the anniversary catered dinner finale on June 25 were Kim Kruse, Mark Smedley and McKenzie, Rick Kruse, Mary Reker, Haley and Nic, Carol and Terry O’Leary, Casey, Patrick & Hanna.

Barbara and Michael Kaplan

Barbara and Michael Kaplan celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday, July 25 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. They were married at the Statler Hotel in Buffalo, New York, where they both grew up and raised three children.

In August 2003 they moved to Sun Lakes after Barbara retired as an elementary school librarian and computer teacher. Michael still works part-time as a CVS pharmacist. Daughter Julie and son David both live in the area and son Daniel is a teacher in the Buffalo area. They are the proud grandparents of Jacob Kaplan.

Barbara and Michael will be celebrating their anniversary with their family during a vacation in Buffalo in October.