Sault Ste. Marie couple marks 75th wedding anniversary
Walter and Lil Parniak were married at St. Veronica's Church in Sault Ste. Marie 75 years ago and are celebrating their diamond jubilee surrounded by their loving family.
On their wedding day, Walter was 20 and Lil was 17.
Their daughter Mary Ellen Wenmann, the youngest of the couple's five children, told CTV News her dad worked as a machinist at Algoma Steel while her mom stayed at home with the kids before they bought the farm in 1960 -- where they still live to this day.
"They became dairy farmers and after my parents sold the cows, they still worked the land and made it into a strawberry farm where people could come and pick strawberries," Wenmann said. "My dad also worked at Sault College as a machinist instructor. My dad retired and they just enjoyed life on the farm with no worries or cares."
Being together as a family was a priority for the Parniaks and they gave each of their kids a piece of land to build a home on, she said. They also get together every chance they get, whether it be for a birthday or when someone gets a new job or a new car, they would throw a party. It is a whole family affair too, with 17 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
"I think that is what keeps our family together because my mom and dad made sure we were together," Wenmann said. "My parents are very faithful and they have prayed for us, helped us out every chance they could and were always present in our lives."
She describes her parents as fun and said they have "happy hour" in their house at 4 p.m. and her brothers and sisters would stop by after work if they could. Sometimes a happy hour would turn into dinner and she said her mom always had lots of food prepared just in case.
Wenmann said her parents, ages 94 and 92, have slowed down a bit and they are being taken care of by her sisters Linda and Sally Anne.
"We all admire and love them to pieces. We are very grateful for our parents," she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada Disability Benefit needs to be safeguarded from clawbacks, MPs unanimously agree
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
Security guard shot, seriously injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning, police said.
Testifying in hush money trial, adult film actor Stormy Daniels describes first meeting Trump
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential election 10 years later.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Turfing Poilievre from House a clear sign of desperation by Trudeau Liberals
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
Apple unveils new iPad Pro with 'outrageously powerful' AI-powered chip
Apple is hoping its latest iPad lineup will breathe new life into its sluggish tablet market. In a pre-recorded live streamed event from its Cupertino, California headquarters, the company introduced the latest versions of its iPad Pro and iPad Air tablets, and an all-new Apple Pencil Pro.
Katy Perry's mom was fooled by AI images of the singer at the Met Gala
Katy Perry did not attend the Met Gala on Monday, but some of the singer’s fans – and even her mom – thought she did.
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.