A Special Feature provided by Family to The Hastings Journal

According to statistics, the divorce rate in the United States is currently around 44.6% meaning nearly half of all U.S. marriages flame out. Here is a story of two marriages (with one wedding) that did not flame out. On Saturday, June 2nd of 1951, two anxious brothers awaited the appearance of their new brides, who just happened to be sisters, to walk down the aisle of their home parish and join them in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. Adorned with flowers and of course, white wedding bells, St. Boniface Catholic Church was filled with family and friends to share in the joyous event. Ray (Schommer) and Eileen (Burr) said their vows, exchanged their rings and were united in Holy Matrimony. Bill (Schommer) and Marilyn (Burr) did the same. Seventy years later, Bill and Marilyn are celebrated their anniversary surrounded by their family, while Ray and Eileen most definitely danced the night away in heaven.

Double weddings were much more commonplace in the 1940’s and 1950’s and with the rising costs of a wedding in 2021, (photographer, floral designer, wedding dress and attire for the wedding party, a few bucks for the officiant, musicians, printing costs for the programs, DJ/band, reception venue, event planner and…), it would not be a total surprise if this type of marriage ceremony makes a comeback for those contemplating future nuptials. Trying to save money is far from a new thing and it most likely was on the mind of George J. Burr, father of the brides.

Ray passed away on October 25th of 1970 from a massive heart attack at age 46. Eileen lived the rest of her life, forever faithful to Ray and joined him on May 14th of 2016. Their legacy includes three children (Maureen (Lin) Dillon, Sue (Keith) Slavik and Brian (Mary), eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Their children and grandchildren have all graduating from Hastings High School with Maureen, Sue and Brian still making Hastings their home. Next year, three of their great-grandchildren will become the next generation to graduate wearing the blue and gold.

At 91 and 90 years of age respectively, Bill and Marilyn spent their anniversary with their five children (Julie (Kelly) Orth, Bill Jr. (Martha), Marion (Ken) Hauslad-

See SCHOMMER, Page 3

Bill and Marilyn and Eileen and Ray Schommer on their wedding day. SCHOMMER

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en, Mark (Patti+) and Sharon (Mark) Blatzheim). Many of their 15 grandchildren and 36 (plus one on the way) great grandchildren also gathered for the celebration. The last few years have been especially difficult for Bill and Marilyn. In addition to the health issues that all too often come with aging, watching Mark’s wonderful wife Patti succumb to Alzheimer’s at the age of 61 was extremely hard. “It’s a terrible disease,” Bill said. “Watching someone you love go through it is hard,” he stated. “Watching multiple people is almost unbearable, but you have to support each other and just move forward.” That is a testimony to the level of strength and faith that is one of their cornerstones.

The “double cousins” (children of Ray and Eileen; Bill and Marilyn) all concur that “faith and family” were a way of life that were taught by their parents. “Faith has always been a foundation in our family and when you look at the ups and downs that we all experience in our world, it is hard to believe survival would be possible without faith,” Sharon (youngest of Bill and Marilyn) shared. Is it by faith alone that a two people stay married for seventy years?

Faith alone is not enough according to Bill. “Patience, and a lot of it,” he says is another ingredient to the road that he and Marilyn have travelled. As Sharon said, life for everyone has many ups and downs. Things do not always go as planned, no matter how much planning you do. There are plenty of windfalls in our lives that are seen as blessings by many. Bill believes there are just and many shortcomings and pitfalls, and those are what try a person’s patience. It is also a known fact that “patience” is not something that most Schommer men are blessed with according to most of the female double cousins. Bill agreed and concluded that faith allows you to find the patience that is needed. “You just do what you need to do and walk together, no matter how bumpy the road gets,” he added.

The memories are bountiful and while some of them may be fading, there are way more happy than sad ones. “We have had a great journey,” Bill said as he reminisced of days gone by growing up in Hastings as one of 13 kids in a family that barely had enough money to put food on the table. “We worked together and did what we could to get through the tough times,” he stated. “People must have thought mom and dad were nuts to have all those kids but, we would not have gotten through without everyone.” Marilyn and Eileen could share a similar story to their upbringing in rural Hampton. While there were only seven Burr kids (only… right?), times were tough for them as well. It is easy to see where the foundation of faith began, how it was taught and why it continues.

In times when walking away from each other has become almost normal; when turning our backs on those who mean the most to us because of differences in thoughts, opinions and beliefs occurs regularly, here is an example of what true and total unconditional love looks like. The double wedding that happened seventy years ago at St. Boniface in Hastings surely is cool. The lessons offered by the two couples, from undying faith in God, each other and family is as ‘feel good’ of a story as there may ever be. Happy Anniversary to the Schommer’s!!

Ray and Eileen

Bill and Marilyn