Scotts Valley couple Mebs and Rey Retzlaff, both 92, celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary Sept. 10, 2009.
The couple met at a dance in Cooperstown, N.D., in 1935 and married in 1939 in a country church with more than 500 friends and neighbors in attendance. As was the custom, the ladies aid group served cake and ice cream.
The couple set off on a monthlong honeymoon with Meb’s sister and Rey’s nephew that included stops in Montana, Vancouver, Washington — where cousin Nelly joined the crew — and the San Francisco World’s Fair. They also visited Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon.
They started with $500 and ended up with $70, as motels cost $4.50 to $7 a night, hamburgers 10 cents, and coffee 5 cents.
The Retzlaffs farmed in North Dakota for 18 years and owned a Ford dealership before moving to Salem, Ore., in 1964 and to California in 1967.
In Scotts Valley, Rey and his partners developed a mobile home park, Montevalle. The couple has owned a lot in the park for 40 years.
Rey was appointed to the City Council in 1981 and served as mayor in 1983 before finishing his term in 1984. He also sat on the city planning commission and was instrumental in forming the Scotts Valley Parks and Recreation Commission.
The couple is active at church and has three children, eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. The family gathered for a reunion in Oregon in August.
