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‘It doesn’t seem like 63 years’

  • People listen to the Rev. John Granchie's vow renewal service outside the Little Brown Church in a tent. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • The Rev. John Granchie leads the marriage vow renewal service at the Little Brown Church in the Vale. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • The Little Brown Church in the Vale in Nashua hosts couples that were married there every year and renews their vows at a service Sunday morning. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Couples return to the Little Brown Church to renew their vows Sunday morning. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Ken and Virginia Heerts kiss as they renew their vows 63 years later. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

By Thomas Nelson, tnelson@charlescitypress.com

On Sunday, the Little Brown Church in the Vale celebrated the renewal of wedding vows during its 10:30 a.m. service.

Couples that had been married came to the church to renew their vows at the service led by the Rev. John Granchie.

“Its been a tradition for 65 years,” Granchie said. “We do it every year to have the people come back to understand what marriage is all about.”

Marriage isn’t a one-time event. It lasts for a lifetime, Granchie said.

“We encourage them to come back every year to live that life out,” Granchie said. “There are so many divorces rampant in the world this day, we want people to understand that marriage is meant to be forever.”

Granchie started preaching at the Little Brown Church April 1.

“This is my first year,” he said.

There were 53 people inside the church during the ceremony and over 60 people outside under and around a tent listening to the service.

Since the congregation was first established in 1855, there have been more than 73,500 couples married there, beginning five years prior to the church’s construction.

Construction began on the Little Brown Church in 1860 and it was finished in 1864. It took four years to build because of the Civil War.

The church has had enough recognition that it has a hymn written about it called “The Church in the wildwood.”

One couple present had been married 63 years ago, and said they were still as in love as the day they were first married.

Ken and Virginia Heerts, of Waverly, were sitting front and center, looking at each other during the entire service.

“It doesn’t seem like 63 years,” Ken said.

They were married in 1954, before Ken was set to join the Army and get sent to Korea.

“I was in the service and we wanted to get married before I left,” he said.

They knew that Ken was going to go overseas.

“We got married on a Saturday afternoon here,” Ken said. “Sunday morning I left for Korea.”

He spent a year and half in Korea and came home in 1955.

Both of of their parents were present for the wedding.

“We went together four years,” said Virginia. “I was only 14 when we met.”

The two met at the Butler County Fair, when Virginia played in the band, they said.

“He’s from Grundy Center, though,” Virginia said. “He came and invaded our Allison-Butler County Fair.”

It was after that meeting that Ken told Virginia that he loved her, they said.

“I’ll never forget, we were on our way home,” Virginia said.

They haven’t had the chance to return for the Little Brown Church’s vow renewals very often because they are camp hosts.

“A couple of times we’ve stopped by and rang the bell,” Virginia said.

Since getting married the Heerts have been through a lot. Ken was hit 6,600 volts of electricity at one point.

“It burned the socks off his feet,” Virginia said. “The thing that really saved him was electricity travels crosswise, therefore it didn’t go directly over his heart.”

 

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