A couple who grew up as transplanted Germans in Ukraine and Russia, and who didn't meet until they both lived in the Lang area in 1931, recently celebrated their 76th anniversary with their family.

Gustav and Wanda Lutzer were married on July 25, 1931, in a new Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lang, that church's first wedding, after a courtship of only three weeks, and went on to raise five children.

Gustav had arrived in Montreal on the Empress of Scotland, and took a train to Weyburn, and from there began to work on farms, including for the Domes family in the Verwood area.

Due to the Depression, they were unable to pay him and gave him a promissory note for $600; he received word some years later the family was able to pay him, and he used that money to put a down payment on an Oliver steel-wheeled tractor (worth $1,200), which he used to start farming on his own.

Even though both had similar upbringings as children of disenfranchised German families, they didn't meet until they were both living in the Lang area. Gustav walked Wanda Ludtke home from a church service, the first time they met, and he asked her to marry him. She replied she needed time to think about it, and three weeks later the couple were married.

The couple lived and at first worked for other farmers in the Lang and Yellow Grass areas, first living in an old house in Lang they rented for $2 a month. From Lang, Gustav went to work for Fred Getz at Yellow Grass, then back to the Rudolf Lieske farm northwest of Lang, and then back to the Getz farm at Yellow Grass again.

They eventually ended up on a half-section of land four miles from Colfax, obtained through a friend who was a real estate broker, Pete Wilken; four years later, they settled on a section of land also near Colfax, and were able to pay for the land within seven years.

Faith has been a hallmark of their relationship, and is seen in their family's lives as all five of the children have served the church in some capacity. Albert, the eldest, founded the Dallas Valley Ranch Camp near Lumsden; the two daughters, Ruth and Esther, were both missionaries; son Harold was a director of Canadian Revival Fellowship; and the youngest son Erwin, is pastor of Chicago's Moody Church, who also hosts his own radio show and has authored over 30 books.

Asked what the secrets of this couple's longevity are, son Harold offered these thoughts.

"I think one of the things is Mom and Dad didn't complain. They were always thankful when they had food and clothing. Also, they never had any bitterness. People wronged them, yet they did not carry any bitterness, and of course, reading the Bible and praying really was the glue that held them together," he said. "As the kids came along, they were included in the devotions as well. When they had disagreements, they would pray about it instead of arguing. I can remember disagreements they had. They also had really good communication."

Harold said as they farmed, his dad would have an idea of something he could do to improve things on the farm, and he would always discuss it with his wife.

"It was amazing what they got through together. As a child, (we thought) they didn't do everything right; often we thought they were too strict, but they really got the essentials right," said Harold.

He noted his Dad gave his children advice to stay out of debt if they possibly could. By his example, his parents were able to move off the farm to a new home in Regina in 1957, and the home was paid for, plus Gustav was able to put all five children through college or university. "It's quite amazing from one section of land," said Harold.

His brother Erwin will come to Regina this weekend from Chicago, and will speak at Faith Baptist Church on Sunday, Aug. 19 at 10 a.m. He will be making the sermon a celebration of his parents' life, as an example for families today to follow.