Couple wins contest honoring long marriages
Herb and Bettye Dittmer celebrated 60 years worth of valentines during a ceremony in their honor Saturday.
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The Lincolnton couple was chosen as Mr. and Mrs. Clarks Hill, a contest held by the Little River Marina and Family Resort in Appling to celebrate marriages lasting more than 50 years. The contest was held in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Thurmond Lake.
"We asked people to write into us why a couple should be chosen," Little River owner Pam Bugg said at the reception held at the marina. "In Mr. and Mrs. Dittmer's case, their daughter wrote in and friends of mine judged them to be the most deserving couple."
Mr. Dittmer first met his bride-to-be while serving in the Army at Fort Gordon in 1943. He then left the area to build bombers in Michigan and obtain a pharmacy degree. He returned four years later to wed.
The couple, now in their 70s, celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary last month.
A cake sits next to the Dittmers wedding photo at their celebration at Little River Marina and Family Resort on Saturday.
Photo by Donnie Fetter
"We never considered divorce, but we thought about murder a few times," joked Mr. Dittmer, a retired chief pharmacist from the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Augusta.
Mrs. Dittmer gave a different reason as to why the couple has lasted so long.
"We've had a wonderful life together because we truly believed in 'for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, until death do us part,"' she said. "We've always been considerate of each other."
For being chosen Mr. and Mrs. Clarks Hill Lake, the couple received flowers from the Flower Cottage, a free cabin rental at Little River Marina, a free pontoon rental from Family Time Boat Rentals and dinner for two at TJ Outriggers restaurant.
"Our daughter (Leslie Boyle) sent this in without even telling us," Mrs. Dittmer said. "I wish she would have asked us first, but it's still very nice to be recognized for just being together."