Doug and I stopped for lunch at Not Just a Diner in Saint Croix Falls, Wisconsin, expecting a good meal.
Instead, we met Bob and Jean.
That’s one of my favorite things about saying yes to the long way around. You never know who’s sitting at the next table.
Bob Hasewinkle is almost 101 years old. He served in the infantry during World War II. When I asked Jean how Bob proposed, she smiled and said:
“When he asked me to marry him, he said, ‘Will you marry me? You can keep your name.’”
He knew how much her Irish heritage meant to her.
They’ve been married for nearly 46 years, have three daughters, six grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.
When I asked what the secret to a long marriage was, they didn’t talk about grand gestures.
They talked about sailing.
Bob came home from Germany, they went sailing together, and they’ve been sailing through life ever since.
As photographers, we often chase the big stories. But I’ve found they’re usually sitting quietly in a corner booth over lunch, waiting for someone to ask a simple question.
Thank you, Bob and Jean, for sharing a little piece of your remarkable life with two strangers.
📍 Not Just a Diner
Assistant: Alex Anderberg
