Community invited to help couple celebrate 76th anniversary
Creston Village collects 76 cards for longtime Paso Robles couple
– Don and Helen Guegler will celebrate their 76th wedding anniversary on Sunday, Dec. 28, as Creston Village Assisted Living and Memory Care hosts a community celebration and launches a card drive inviting the public to help mark the milestone.
Don, now 100 years old, was studying math, physics, and science at Iowa State when he spotted Helen — also an Iowa State student and home economics major focusing on textiles and clothing — singing across the room. “We eyed each other from across the sanctuary,” he recalls. What began as friendly glances grew into something more when Helen’s then-boyfriend asked Don a curious question: “Do you think Helen would make a good wife?” Don’s response was simple: “Well, I had to find out!”
Helen says they “fell in love on the dance floor,” and Don finishes the thought with his trademark grin: “And then we danced through life together.” Married on December 28, 1949, at ages 24 and 21, the Gueglers went on to teach at the same Iowa high school for three years—an unusual arrangement for married couples in those days—before relocating to California, where Don became a rocket scientist at McDonald Douglas. Helen became a homemaker and raised their four children, Margaret, Bill, Diane, and Pam. The family has since grown to include seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Music has threaded through their decades together. Don played clarinet and saxophone in a pep band, county band, and a quartet of horns called “Sax on the Beach.” Helen describes herself as a “choir singer” who soloed on occasion. “We always had that in common,” she said. They also share a knack for doing things together, from vacationing to refinishing furniture to building a 3,000-square-foot home in Arroyo Grande, where they lived for 15 years.
Their advice for lasting love? Don recommends dating for a while to see if your philosophies align—they attribute a nearly 2-year engagement as a major factor in their success. “Never go to sleep without making up,” he adds, then admits with a sly smile, “although… There were some sleepless nights.”
Helen’s counsel centers on respect. “Be respectful of each other. Have mutual respect,” she said. She also recalls one disagreement that ended with her storming out after Don tried to tell her how to cook steaks. “We quarreled over how to cook the steaks. He was telling a home economics major how to cook?! He worried I wouldn’t come back. But I was just on a walk.”
When pressed for the true secret to their marriage, Don says, “Picking right in the first place.” Helen’s answer is equally direct: “We have always been very secure with each other and never strayed.”
“Don and Helen’s relationship is a masterclass in partnership,” said Julie Tacker, Director of Engagement of Creston Village Assisted Living and Memory Care. “They’ve built a life around shared interests, humor, and genuine respect for one another. Watching them interact, you see two people who still enjoy each other’s company after 76 years. Their story deserves to be told because it reminds all of us what’s possible when you choose your partner wisely and keep choosing them every day.”
The December 28 celebration will begin at 3 p.m. at Creston Village, and the community is spearheading an anniversary card drive to collect 76 cards—one for each year the couple has been married.
Cards may be mailed to:
Don & Helen
Attn: Julie Tacker, Director of Engagement
1919 Creston Rd, Paso Robles, CA 93446
