"Milestones" covers significant events and times in the lives of metro Atlantans. Big or small, well-known or not -- tell us of a Milestone we should write about. Send information to hm_cauley@yahoo.com; call 404-514-6162; or mail to Milestones, c/o Holly Steel, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway N.E., Atlanta, GA 30346.
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Gary and Lisa Morris are always on the lookout for married couples who set examples for others to emulate. A few months ago, the two local representatives of Worldwide Marriage Encounter found one couple that offered a great deal of inspiration by being married for 70 years.
The Morrises immediately knew that Jacque and Bill Dean were a remarkable example. They also knew that each year, the California-based Marriage Encounter organizes a search to honor lasting marriages. It was a perfect fit.
“Just talking to them, you can tell that they love each other so much,” said Lisa Morris. “So we asked them if we could nominate them.”
Two months ago, Marriage Encounter honored the Deans as the longest-married couple in Georgia, based on the submissions the organization received.
The honor surprised and delighted the Deans.
“Some of the people in other states were married more than 80 years,” said Bill Dean, 92. “But of all the names submitted for Georgia, we won.”
“We certainly don’t know anyone married this long,” said Jacque Dean, 89.
With their 71st anniversary coming up in May, the two have been asked by friends and church members about the secret to staying together.
“What’s worked for us is commitment,” said Jacque Dean. “In our time, when you got married, it was for life. And that means you need to have patience.”
The two Atlanta natives met through friends in 1940. World War II took Bill Dean off to Louisiana and then the Pacific shortly after he married Jacque in 1942, when she was 18 and he was 21. After the war, the two lived in East Lake, Decatur and Marietta before settling in Acworth 27 years ago. In 1981, Bill Dean retired from Georgia Power, but for several years after he drove a school bus for Cobb County. The couple raised two children and now have four grandchildren.
But it wasn’t always smooth sailing, Jacque admits.
“When we got married, we’d known each other for two years, but we didn’t know what love really was,” she said. “We had a rough time in the beginning, with Bill being in the service and me not even knowing if he would come back. Our son was 14 months old when he first saw him. And we had our disagreements from time to time. Nobody ever has a perfect marriage, but our faith and devotion to each other and our children has made for a good marriage.”
Their mutual affection has not faded with age, she added. “We’ve gotten closer as we’ve gotten older. We’re almost one person. It’s very difficult to imagine getting older without each other.”
On the Sunday when their award was announced at Acworth United Methodist Church, the couple received a standing ovation.
“We felt very honored and humbled to be recognized,” Jacque said. “We got a lovely plaque, and they gave me a big bouquet of flowers.”
The event made the couple realize one thing they have missed out on over the years.
“Believe it or not,” said Jacque Dean, “we have never had an anniversary party!”
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