Cecil and Bette are 82-year-old Brookdale Senior Living residents from Holland, MI. Their Wish of a Lifetime was to celebrate their 60th anniversary in Kansas City, MO.
Cecil and Betty met freshman year at Baker University in Baldwin City, MO. Cecil enlisted in the US Navy and served for four years during the Korean War. In 1953, when Cecil was on a 20-day leave from the Navy, he traveled back to Missouri to marry Betty. Cecil and Betty have maintained a close and loving relationship that has lasted an incredible 60 years.
Cecil and Betty have dedicated tremendous amounts of time to give back to the communities in which they’ve lived. Cecil was a psychologist who became the director of counseling services at two different universities. He now leads two book clubs and volunteers on the Holland Committee for Substance Abuse to help those with serious drug and alcohol problems. Betty has volunteered for many organizations including Ready for School, a nonprofit that helps children age 0-3 prepare for school during their most influential period of brain development. They have both served on the consistory board for their church for almost five years, and they remain to be active in church activities for the community.
Wish of a Lifetime and Brookdale made Cecil and Bette’s Wish come true on May 23rd, 2013. The two of them flew from Holland, MI to Kansas City, MO, to spend three nights at the famous Muehlebach Hotel, where they spent their wedding night on May 24th, 1953. During their three-day visit, they visited their alma mater, Baker University, as well as the nearby church where they said their vows. Cecil said that as each hour passed, the most wonderful memories surfaced from their wedding that took place 60 years ago.
