Fashion Matters: Couple’s marriage endures

Hugh and Doris Martin tend to do things together. If he’s interested in a new car, she goes shopping with him. When she’s searching for furniture, he’s beside her. When they were raising their children, it was a united and consistent effort.

They’re committed to each other and their relationship, a conviction that hasn’t wavered in 50 years.

"We like to do just about everything together,” she said. "We give in to each other. If he wants to go a certain place, and I don’t, I usually go. And he does the same for me.”

Doris and Hugh married in 1958 after dating for three months. She was 17 and a junior in high school. He was 19 and in the Air Force. They moved from Kansas to Japan to Big Spring, Texas. Then it was on to Washington, D.C., where he was an airplane mechanic on the president’s fleet.

When Hugh was sent to Thailand, and she couldn’t accompany him, she and their two children moved to Oklahoma City to be close to her parents.

A year later, the couple reunited, living in California before relocating to Oklahoma City, where they built a home, welcomed new friends and continued to strengthen their commitment to each other.

"We feel like we’re each other’s best friend,” she said. "We talk to each other. We might not agree with each other, but we talk. I ask him for his opinion, and he kind of cools me down when I get upset.”

Hugh said keeping their marriage and relationship strong is a shared responsibility. One person can’t do it alone.

"I think it all boils down to commitment — just paying attention to life, to each other and what’s going on,” he said.

More Info
ONLINE
→Do you know a couple who epitomize commitment? For a chance to share their story, go online to NewsOK.com/inspiringcouples. The deadline to enter is Tuesday. A maximum of 12 couples will be chosen and featured in promotion of the "Forever. For Real” project and the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative.

→To learn about workshops and tips for building a strong, healthy relationship, go to the Oklahoma Marriage Institute Web site at www. marriageOK.net.