Hudsonville couple celebrates unforgettable anniversary

HUDSONVILLE, Michigan – In a story of true, enduring love, Earl and Erma VanNortwick defied the odds and celebrated an incredible 76 years together on Wednesday. The Hudsonville couple proved that true love can stand the test of time.

“We never held grudges,” 93-year-old Erma said on Wednesday. “Never, he was always my sweetheart.”

At 96, Earl still looks healthy and happy.

Their journey began on a Saturday night in Alma, where they met for the first time at a dance above a JC Penney.

“He was home from the Navy and I just happened to run into him,” Erma recalled. “And I liked him… I still like him.”

The couple married on June 26, 1948 and have been inseparable ever since.

After their wedding, Earl had to return to post-war service for about six months.

“The shooting was over. I was cleaning up,” Earl said.

Initially they lived on one hectare of land in Alma, but soon their work took them to Clare.

Earl was transferred from Consumers Energy, becoming the utility’s first dispatcher in the region.

When his father died, the couple moved back to Alma. They settled on the 200-acre property his father owned, where their three children were born and raised.

“All three did very well in school. … I was very proud of them,” said Erma. “They have all been married for a long time.”

On holidays, she still invites her now huge extended family to her house in Hudsonville.

They ended up in Ottawa County after buying a restaurant in Holland.

The couple ran the business successfully for about three years before selling it and moving on.

But just like their marriage, the restaurant is still going strong. It is now known as The Itty Bitty Bar.

Sitting across from the couple, it is obvious that they really enjoy each other’s company.

Despite this bond, there were once conflicts between their religious beliefs.

“I was raised to go to church, and that was very important to me. … My husband was the exact opposite. He didn’t go,” Erma recalled.

This was until a near-tragic accident that happened when her children were still small.

“I had the tractor and a wagon, and then a car hit us from behind. The kids were flying in all directions,” Earl explained.

Later that night, something powerful happened.

“When we got home that night, he knelt down by our bed and asked me, ‘Do you want to pray?’ And I said yes,” Erma said.

Earl interjected: “It was a miracle that no one died.”

After that, they were on the same wavelength mentally.

As they celebrate this incredible milestone, they remain grateful for each day they spend together.

“We praise the Lord and thank Him for every day He gives us,” Erma said with a gentle smile. “Because we are getting old and we want to be ready to meet Him. Whatever He has in mind, we are prepared for it.”

Happy 76th anniversary, Earl and Erma!

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