Rose Marie and Leonard De Nard of Melvindale celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary Sept. 8.
The couple married on Rose’s birthday, Sept. 8, 1950, at All Saint’s Catholic Church in Detroit.
They have four children, one of whom is deceased.
Leonard works for the city of Dearborn Department of Public Works in its Central Garage. His wife had worked at Kmart and Sears and is now a homemaker.
Leonard has volunteered with the U.S. Naval Sea Cadets for the past 31 years and is the commander of the U.S. Navy League Cadet Corps Training Ship Bristol Bay Unit and the Knights of Columbus Robert Jones Council Color Corp in Lincoln Park.
The couple often jokes that their long-lasting marriage is credited to Leonard’s involvement in the groups, as they often keep him away from home.
Leonard tells it differently, saying they got married after Rose told him she had money put away to pay for the wedding.
“It’s been 60 years and I haven’t found the money and Rose it too old to remember where she hid it,” Leonard said. “That is what’s keeping us together.”