Married for 66 yeasr, Catherine & Lyn on their wedding day
“Love that Lasts Forever” is the promise of Valentine’s Day! While many of us can only long for that bliss, Catherine and Lyn Martin, married now for 66 years and both in their nineties, live in their own home, laugh, cry and love together in a union “made in heaven”. They have made their good luck throughout the years. With a chuckle, in the words of Lyn Martin, “It’s been wonderful; like two lovers; it has always been that way”! Valentine’s Day has always been a special time for this couple of “Lovers”. Both of their birthdays are in February, days before Valentine’s Day and just a few days apart; Lyn is four days older and will always remind Catherine about that!
Catherine and Lyn met at university where they courted each other at college dances and during beautiful long walks, followed by a cup of coffee. Their first date was to the Ice Capades; and they “fell in love”! Times were different then and they each lived in university dorms and, as travel was not readily accessible, they seldom had the opportunity to go home. Dancing was a favourite pastime. Catherine was a year ahead of Lyn and when it came time to take a job, she elected to take one close to the university. The war was still ongoing and her job was to help make penicillin, a new discovery at that time, and so necessary to heal the veterans coming home from the war. In her spare time, she visited Lyn at school.
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Catherine & Lyn, both in their nineties
Once they both graduated, they married. This happened in the living room of the family homestead, with local caterers, surrounded by close friends and family. It was a “Fairytale” wedding, complete with the hopes and aspirations of this young couple. Lyn took a job as an entomologist at the insect laboratory in Sault Saint Marie and together they explored the wild forests of Ontario, living during their summers in a log cabin in Fergus, Ontario and in a small cabin in the wilderness near Sault Ste Marie. Training university students was a responsibility Lyn excelled at during this time.
Lyn was later chosen to be the Director of the Nova Scotia Museum where he developed many historical sites, both in Halifax and throughout the province. Catherine taught at Mount Saint Vincent University, and they were always at each other’s sides and each other’s biggest fans. They were both fabulous cooks. The smell of fresh oatmeal bread in the oven kept one wishing that the recipe could be duplicated. It could not be. It was created with their great love!
Catherine and Lyn had two children. While the children were growing up, they designed and built a cottage, as well as the home they live in today. Their home is in a forest with every type of tree possible, planted lovingly with their own hands! Their son and his family now live in Yellowknife and visit often. Their daughter, who had always lived with diabetes, sadly passed a few years back – on February 15th; there has been pain mixed with the great love of this couple. Catherine and Lyn are now blessed with nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren!
And … there is always room in Catherine and Lyn’s hearts to love, laugh and joke with one another, to open their home to any visitors, family or otherwise, who would like to visit – or just to rest awhile! Recently they were forced to put down their two pals, two beautiful golden retrievers, as they had become old and full of pain. What did they do? They have taken on a new puppy to train and to love; an active little Chihuahua with huge expressive eyes and a desire to bite! There is lots to love! Love and laughter are a big part of life as Catherine and Lyn Martin celebrate their birthdays, Valentine’s Day, life, and all it has to offer! To our Valentine “Love-birds”, Happy Valentine’s Day! May there be many more!