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Show Love At First Sight MmmedAt 86 Ami 79 By GARY R. BLODGETT News Editor BOUNTIFUL -- Ina and Hilden Tucker didn't waste time falling in love'itnd getting married after they met last Novernber at the Bountiful Heritage Place. WHY SHOULD they? "I think we're old enough to know how we feel and what we want out of life," said Hilden, aged 86, as he gave his 79-year-old bride of 48 hours a tender squeeze. HILDEN WAS a newcomer to the Heritage, a live-in facility for the elderly. Ina had been a resident for about three years; Hilden had moved in just a few days before Thanksgiving. Both were extremely lonely. Both had lost their second spouse a year or two before. "IT WAS definitely love at first sight," said Hilden. Ina smiled sheepishly and nodded her head in approval. Hilden explained that both are keen of mind and in excellent health. "There's not a thing wrong with either of us and so why should we put off getting married and making each other happy," he asked. THEY AGREE their marriage "is a little different" dif-ferent" but only because the circumstances are different. "People make a big fuss about couples who are still together after 50 or 60 years, but look strangely at us who get married at a ripe old age," he said. "I LOVE Ina just as dearly as I did my previous pre-vious wife who died after 47 years of marriage. So what's wrong with Ina and I getting married now and making each other happy the rest of our lives?" The two will continue to live -- together now - at the Heritage Place. They have their own room and share each other's belongings. "THERE'S NOT a lot to do," they confided. "But at least we're together. As time goes on we'll expand our interests and maybe do a little traveling." Both are looking forward to a belated honeymoon hon-eymoon to Hawaii. "That would be real nice," said Ina with a big smile. INA AND Hilden met this reporter all spruced up in their best-dress - Ina in her wedding dress that her children had made for her and Hilden was decked out in a sharp, dark-blue suit -- the same outfit they were married mar-ried in on Saturday, March 26. The wedding ceremony took place in the Heritage Place and the reception was attended by 160 guests. Bishop Phillip Barber of the Bountiful 7th Ward performed the ceremony. "IT'S A GOOD thing we kept the wedding list to friends and relatives that live closeby," said Hilden. "If we had expanded it to include our mutual friends down in Sanpete County, we never would have gotten them all inside." Although Ina and Hilden lived near each other during their teenage years -- Ina in Mt. Pleasant and Hilden in Fairview - they never knew each other. "WE KNEW each other's relatives, families and many friends, but strangely never got to know each other," said Ina. "So we were PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 3 Mmwied At 86 And 79 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 strangers when Hilden came to the center just before Thanksgiving." She said it was an LDS Family Evening that brought them together, "and we hit it off right from the beginning." THEIR FIRST "dates" were attending church together at the nearby Bountiful 7th Ward and going to an occasional dinner with friends. "There just wasn't much to do except be together right here (Heritage Place) and enjoy en-joy each other's company," she said. Ina said Hilden was "quite forward" about his feeling toward her. "HE TOLD ME he loved me after only a few weeks and proposed to me a short time later," said Ina. Asked when she accepted his proposal, Ina blushed and replied: "The first time he asked me." HILDEN admitted that both were lonely and needed companionship, but stressed that their relationship - right from the beginning - was "love at first sight." "Everything since we met has been so beautiful. I'm sure we'll make each other very happy, said Ina with a tear in her eye. Hilden agreed. HILDEN SAID he came to the Heritage Place on a monthly trial basis. He had previously pre-viously lived in a mobile home in Orem. Ina had been at the center for about three years. Her husband died in December 1980. IT WAS the third marriage for both and there was some conflict with the couple and their children. "Some of them didn't think we had . ; known each other long enough and were get- : ting married on the rebound. But we knew different and told them it was our lives to live ; and that we were old enough to know our feelings. feel-ings. So we went ahead and tied the knot," said Hilden. : Ina comes from a newspaper family. "I set . . type and helped run the presses," she said. .: HER GRANDFATHER, Christian Lund, was a former mayor of Mt. Pleasant, bishop. stake president, LDS mission president and member of the local school board. : - Hilden was a well-known dairy farmer --the first in the area to own and operate a Grade-A dairy business. Later he served as a nurse's aid at the Veterans' Hospital in Salt Lake City. |
