Ditmers: A 75-year love story
Published: October 10, 2005
For as long as he can remember, Harold Ditmer has awakened his wife each morning with a kiss.
In recent years they have been separated by medical circumstances a few times when one or the other had a problem.
“But God and fate always brought us always back together,” Harold said. “My beautiful bride is again at my side, and we are lucky to be here.”
And today Harold, who turned 95 in July, and his wife Mary, who will be 93 in November, are beginning a celebration of their 75th wedding anniversary.
Their youngest daughter, Kay Lauth, 62, will host a dinner at a restaurant for the two.
“The anniversary is Tuesday, but we begin it all with an outing today,” Kay said. “Then some friends have special events planned.”
Kay won’t offer a hint, but said there is yet another very special occasion in the planning for Mary and Harold, who make their home at One Lincoln Park retirement center in Kettering.
“Shhh!,” Kay said. “We want to surprise them.”
Whatever Kay has planned, it should be interesting based on history.
To celebrate their 25th anniversary, the Ditmers flew to Paris, France, for a party. When they turned 50 they made a trip across the United States stopping to visit with friends and relatives, including the three children: son Harold Robert, daughter Carolyn Patricia Dixon, and, of course, Kay Lynn Lauth.
Then in 2002, to celebrate the 72nd anniversary, Harold and Mary took a ride in a 1926 Model T Ford Roadster that their daughter located and rented.
“What a wonderful surprise that was,” Harold remembered. “It brought back memories. When I was a young man of 18, I worked at NCR and made 32 cents an hour or about $12.50 a week. I managed to save enough to purchase 1926 Model T. I think it cost me about $250.”
About that time, he met 16-year-old Mary Elizabeth Harshbarger.
“She was a most beautiful farm girl,” he said, “We fell in love at first glance.”
Mary has said, “Harold was a charming and handsome man. He took my breath away, And on top of that, he had a nice car.”
In 1930, Mary and Harold said they eloped and exchanged vows at the courthouse in Newport, Ky.
“It took us about 10 days to tell the family,” Harold said. “But it didn’t take long for them to come around and give us their blessings.”
The two lived in Ludlow Falls for a while, but soon moved to Kettering and started a family.
“It was closer to my job at NCR, and just seemed the right thing to do,” Harold said. “I continued to rise in the company. I moved up from an errand boy, delivering messages on roller skates, to a position in the assembly department.
“Then I soon became a foreman of a department with over 700 employees and then eventually worked into a position as a supervisor and then chief inspector.”
Before he retired in 1970 at 60 he had become vice president in charge of manufacturing.
“I thank God for the privilege of working for such a great company,” Harold said.
After retirement, and while they were able, the two were involved in volunteer work, and did some traveling, visiting 44 countries.
In recent months, Mary fell and broke her hip for a third time, and is still in therapy for a small stroke on her right side, Harold said.
“But we are together on this important anniversary. And we still love each other as much as we did when we were teenagers. It’s been a wonderful life we have shared. We are very fortunate indeed.”
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