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~ Alan Capon/Whig-Standard May and Bernard Morris: school sweethearts who married 77 years ago Chalk up 77 years of marriage for 94-year-old Picton couple 3w AI A M ^AD/~VM D~+U ~ » i - JBy ALAN CAPON Whig-Standard Staff Writer PICTON May and Bernard Morris are headed for the Guiness Book of Re- cords. The couple, who are both 94 years old, celebrated their 77th wed- ding anniversary this week. "She was the only girl I ever went with/' Morris said, speaking of his wife, the former May Ryckman. Honeymoons were not common in 1905 when the couple married so the two settled down immediately to married life on a Huffs Island, Ameli- asburgh Township farm. In the years that followed they farmed in Hillier Township and Ch- erry Valley; in 1929 they moved to Picton. The young couple met while at- tending the same rural one-room school and would also meet after church services. • They were married in Bloomfield United Church by the Rev. D. S. Houck, and a horse and buggy got them to the church on time. They had danced until dawn at a party the night before. "There were only one or two cars in Picton at that time," Morris re- called. Both recalled marriage was a much iriore serious step, at the turn of the century, than it appears to be today. "You never heard tell of a divorce, then," he said. Throughout their courtship and in the early days of their marriage the couple enjoyed the dances that formed an important part of commu- nity life in rural Prince Edward. The dances were often held in pri-, vate homes or farmhouses and both square dancing and round dancing was very popular. Dances often lasted until five or six in the morning and Mrs. Morris can remember that she and her hus- band once drove home at nine a.m. with the sun shining on their cutter. Mrs. Morris was hospitalized in the summer of 1978 after falling and breaking a bone in her leg and now lives in Picton Manor nursing home. Her husband lives with Gwen Morris of Picton, the wife of his son, the late Irvin Morris. A party for the.couple was held at Picton Manor nursing home on Hill Street this past Monday afternoon which was attended by a daughter Eva Gledhill, a daughter-in-law Gwen Morris, a grandson Paul Morris and his wife, Martha and friends.