Dr. Marty Becker and Teresa Burkholder were married 45 years ago Wednesday, December 27, at United Methodist Church in Bonners Ferry. It was special place, where Teresa had been baptized, attended Sunday school, vacation Bible school, church and endless potlucks. Where the funeral for her dad James was held. A “birth to Earth” place. The groom was 24, his bride 23.
They are amused by elaborate weddings with wedding planners, a live band, photographers and videographers, catered food and a “trip fund.” The total cost of their 1978 wedding was $300, which covered Teresa’s wedding dress, a photographer and the pastor’s stipend. A wedding at the church, a reception in the Legion Hall catered by the United Methodist Women. Teresa’s grandfather, Norm, brought the requisite adult libation, a fine moonshine he bought in Montana, aged since Tuesday.
Marty’s fraternity brothers, men who could drink anything without deleterious effect, suffered hangovers lasting days.
Their honeymoon was a long. dead of winter road trip to Las Vegas, where they stayed in a luxurious five-roach hotel that made Circus Circus look palatial. Marty, a man who could drink anything without deleterious effect, suffered a hangover coinciding neatly in duration with his honeymoon, after which she and he established domicile in their single-wide trailer in Moscow. Idaho. Had to be the Idaho Moscow, else Teresa’s brother, Rockey, wouldn’t have been able to share accommodations with the newlyweds nearly so much as he did.”
Their first date was on St. Patrick’s Day, Friday, March 17, 1978, that momentous year that brought us “Garfield,” “Grease,” “Reese’s Pieces,” “Ben & Jerry’s,” “Van Halen,” “Cabbage Patch Kids” and Marty and Teresa, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!
Their wedding came two days after Christmas the same year.
“Nobody, and I mean nobody, thought Teresa and I would stay married,” Marty said recently, “Not her friends, not my friends and probably not either of our families. But we knew we had been blessed with a forever love. Teresa and I get closer with each day.”
Their cabbage patch was blessed with two kids; Kel and Lexi, and, as the family of America’s Vet, a never-ending procession of pups, pigs, peeps, ponies, pugs and pets that pleased them and theirs but would have perplexed a pasha!
So how did they commemorate this momentous occasion, this proud, once in a lifetime celebration of their 45th wedding anniversary? In the truest, corniest and most endearing Becker way.
They returned to Las Vegas and renewed their vows before that timeless paragon of style and class … the King!