Love Endures, grows through the decades for area residents

"The longer you're married the more you love. The other person knows all your weaknesses and still chooses to value you," said Dave Johnson. This is not looking through rose color glasses, but from many years of being together, Dave and Deb learned the art of honor and collaboration. "We can look back on some things we had tension about as being ridiculous," said Dave. "We have learned love and acceptance," said Deb. "We don't need our way on everything. It's easy to compromise," said Dave.

After meeting each other through a mutual friend, Dave and Deb became acquainted with each other through long-distance communications. It was a time before cell phones, facetime and online dating. Dave had moved to Chicago after graduating from Mid-Plains Community College to attend Trinity Christian College for an education in ministry. While there, he worked as a caretaker in a 35 room (17 bathroom) mansion. Deb was attending Mid-Plains Community College. Later, Deb moved to Chicago to complete her elementary and special education degree from Trinity Christian College, but before she transferred, the two would write or call each other daily for two years. "We took a lot of time getting to know each other," said Dave. On pay day, Dave would receive the long-distance phone bill along with his paycheck. "The phone bill exceeded what was being taken out for taxes," said Dave.

After they were married, they searched for a church to attend together and settled in Wheeling, Nebraska. "Our hardest adjustment was moving back to Nebraska from Chicago. It was reverse shock," said Dave. They refamiliarized themselves to living in a rural community and joined in on monthly fellowships. "There were a lot of young couples there. We would take turns hosting dinner monthly." This and other marriage models were foundational to their relationship as a couple.

As time went on, Dave and Deb had a family. They didn't want their children to grow up in a big city, like Chicago, so they raised their children in Nebraska and Kansas. "We wanted to be mid-westerners," said Dave. They had four children, Jodie, Brett, Jessica and Tiffany.

Dave and Deb learned contentment with less. "We were determined to raise a family on one income. We drove old cars, had old furniture. We haven't had satellite TV for more than 20 years. We didn't want to stress out financially," said Dave. They agreed for Deb to stay home, yet her degree was useful in training their children and teaching them the value of an education. As part of living on a single income, another modification needed to be made to stay on budget. Carol asserted herself to Dave one day, "I asked him for his credit cards and said, 'We are going to live debt free!'" She then proceeded to cut up all the cards. "We have a discussion before making a purchase. It's funny, sometimes Deb wants to buy something and as she is telling me all about it, she talks herself out of buying it," said Dave – they laughed.

Being in ministry has had its challenges. The pandemic affected a lot of people. "There were so many crises, one after another," said Dave. As a leader in the church, Dave was called out to assist in meeting the needs of the community. "I would be called out day and night for all kinds of emergencies with congregates. It was difficult on Deb and the family when I was ministering to others and not home much," said Dave. However, through that experience, it taught him that "setting boundaries even in ministry was necessary for me and my family's well-being," said Dave. During the tough times, we had made a decision to "not give up on each other. To stay together. It was worth working things out than a marathon of misery," said Dave.

"God is at the center of our relationship. It gives commonality of values and goals," said Dave. They depend on God as their source of strength and guidance for themselves or others. "We pray together and see how God leads us and answers our prayers. We have prayed about health issues and have had healing," said Deb. They have been in ministry for 45 years and the last 20 of those have been in Superior.

The couple has other common interests they believe helps to maintain a harmonious connection. They enjoy participating in activities together. "When we first married, we bought new bikes and would ride together," said Dave. Another time in Chicago, they were on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Center watching fireworks, from above them. They attended and worked at the Nebraska State Fair together. One of Dave's photos of the fireworks from the 94th floor view was entered into the fair and won a purple ribbon. They participate in the annual NE Passport Program to visit the various sites around the state. One year, they went to all 70 locations listed. They also understood the importance of each other's individual interests to do alone or with their friends.

Though their families reside in other states, they all keep in contact. Their adult children assisted Dave and Deb in learning how to use their cell phones for texting. Dave and Deb use facetime which helps to create a bond and familiarize themselves to the new babies, so upon visits they are not strangers. For holidays their children and 13 grandchildren will visit in Superior or Dave and Deb will go to them.

Honor, unity and their faith in God has brought them to love each other more than when they first married 50 years ago.