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Hawaii's Longest Married Couple Celebrated
Posted April 06, 2017
As long time parishioners of Saint Anthony Church, Ed and Marie Nishihara were recently honored for their 71st wedding anniversary, making them the longest married couple in the State of Hawaii according to the Catholic Registry. Members from the church along with the Nishihara’s children came to Hale Makua to join them for lunch and cake while they were photographed and interviewed about their love, devotion and long time commitment to one another. Ed is a client of our Adult Day Health program. Below is the story that St. Anthony Church wrote, and we are honored to be able to share it with you.
A Love to Last a Lifetime: Ed and Marie Nishihara Celebrate Their 71st Wedding Anniversary
Some love stories were just made to be told and retold. This one begins with a dropped handkerchief in a skating rink, a courtship interrupted by war, love letters that crossed oceans, and a soldier’s return home. These moments mark the beginning of this story. And although over 70 years have passed, this particular love story has no ending. For this is the remarkable story of parishioners Ed and Marie Nishihara, who celebrate their 71st wedding anniversary this month.
Ed and Marie first met in 1941, when Maui-native Ed was stationed with the Hawaii Army National Guard not far from Marie’s home in Nawiliwili. Marie was at a skating rink with her friend and had just sat down to remove her skates when she spotted a handsome young man nearby.
“I was just looking up and I remembered having seen him at church – we always admired him because we thought he was so handsome,” Marie recalls of their first encounter. “My friend suggested that maybe I should drop my handkerchief ‘accidentally on purpose.’ So, Ed introduced himself to me and asked me to take a walk, and then we came back and did some skating before I went home.”
And so, a beautiful courtship began. As a Mess Sergeant, Ed made use of his exceptional culinary skills by bringing a freshly baked pie to Marie’s parents each time he came to call on her. Soon enough, the whole family was enamored with this gentleman! For both 21-year-old Ed and 18-year-old Marie, theirs was a first – and true – love. Little did they know that over the next few years, they would need to rely on the strength of their love to help them through some difficult times.
On Dec. 7, 1941 – not long after Ed and Marie’s encounter at the skating rink – the attack on Pearl Harbor interrupted their budding romance. As Japanese-Americans were classified “enemy aliens” by the United States government, the fate of Ed and the other Nisei members of the Hawaii National Guard suddenly became uncertain. Then, in the summer of 1942, without warning and without a chance to say goodbye to any friends or family, the group was deployed to Wisconsin and then Mississippi for military training.
Upon their arrival on the mainland, the Nisei of the Hawaii National Guard were designated the 100th Battalion – informally known as the one-puka-puka. A year later, they were sent to fight on the Italian front and, after joining with the 442nd Regiment, would go on to become the most decorated unit of their size in military history. Throughout the years Ed spent on the frontlines, he and Marie continued to nurture their growing love by exchanging letters.
When Ed returned home at the end of the war in 1945, he visited Marie as soon as possible, joining her family for dinner once more. On Feb. 23, 1946, the two were married – and the rest, as they say, is history! Seventy-one years, three children, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren later, the Nishiharas remain devoted to selflessly caring for one another to this day.
According to Marie, who was recognized by the state of Hawaii for her exceptional dedication as a caregiver to Ed just last year, taking care of one another and bringing peace to family life are the keys to a long and happy marriage.
“We always took care of each other,” Marie says. “Ed has been such a good provider – he’s always worked hard. When he was a firefighter, he worked two other jobs on his days off. Our children were always educated and taken care of. We always got along – my husband says our marriage has lasted a long time because we never argued and we always settled things in peace.”
The couple’s shared Catholic faith has also been an essential part of their married life together. Over the years, they sent their children to Catholic school and attended Mass every weekend as a family. Now that Ed is staying at Hale Makua Health Services, Marie joins him for the Mass offered at the day health program every Tuesday.
When Ed and Marie face trials in their married life, their strong faith sustains them. Following the unexpected loss of one of their children in 2003, they turned to the Church for comfort and solace.
“We really did lean on our faith,” Marie says. “We went to Mass together and that helped us to heal. Edward was our oldest son, born on Mother’s Day. He was so compassionate and always looking after us, and then he went before us. We were consoled when we talked to the sisters and they told us that he had done his job on this earth and God had him up in heaven as our guardian angel. That really helped me.”
A pillar in the life of Ed and Marie in all the years since they first settled here as newlyweds in 1946, St. Anthony has provided a wonderful support system for the couple. The Nishiharas’ daughter, Francine, is thankful that her family has such a strong faith community to rely on.
“I have to say that the parish priests at St. Anthony’s have always been very supportive, especially Fr. Roland,” Francine says. “He renewed their vows last year for their 70th anniversary. It was so nice having it at the church during Mass to celebrate with everybody. Father has always taken a special interest in my parents.”
For both Francine and her brother, Kevin, the enduring love they have witnessed in their parents’ marriage over the years has been a priceless gift.
“They are an inspiration to us because they have been together for so long through the difficult and the good times,” Kevin says. “Knowing that they have been committed for these 71 years, there is a comfort and a security that Francine and I feel in their love for one another, and in their love for us, too, because they have exemplified that commitment.”
The marriage of Ed and Marie Nishihara serves as a witness of commitment and lasting love to all of us. What encouragement and inspiration there is to be found in the story of this extraordinary couple who has called St. Anthony “home” for over 70 years – a story and a love truly without end!