Area couples share their stories of how they met and their success in being married for 50 or more years.
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The former Gerrie Fitzgerald and William Somers Carey met each other when they were out with friends at O’Tolles. Somers as he liked to be called, gave Gerri a ride home along with her sisters. They started dating and were engaged at Christmas.
The couple were married June 26, 1965, at Our Lady of Snows Church by Reverend Charles Mulroney, who was a cousin of Gerrie’s.
Their rehearsal dinner and reception were held at the Wellwood Lounge.
The couple honeymooned in the Bahamas, which was Gerrie’s first time flying.
Somers passed away on May 16, 2015, shortly before the couple would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on June 26, 2015.
“I had my hobbies and he had his,” said Gerrie Carey. “He liked to hunt and was a member of the Factoryville Sportsmen’s Club. He liked to give people rides to where they needed to go. He was a good father to our children.”
Sommers was a veteran of the United States Navy.
Somers worked for Bell Telephone and later Verizon. Gerrie worked fort American Creditors Bureau.
Gerrie Carey has been president of the Clarks Summit Borough Council for 25 years. She is on the board of the Clarks Summit State Hospital and a member of the Abington Rotary and the Lackawanna County Planning Board. She is also a chairman committee woman of the 114.
She also has been a longtime member of the Federation of Democratic Woman and the Society of Irish Women. She is a parishioner of the Our Lady of Snows Church.
They have four children, William “Hutch” Carey married to Milissa Carey, Mary Ellen Berry married to Jason Berry, Rick Carey married to Sonya Carey and Collen Berry married to Nate Berry. Their grandchildren are Will and Nick Carey and Lauren, Cameryn and Chase Berry.
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Frank Besten and the late Margaret Griffin were godparents to Donnie Gaffredo. Donnie was a nephew of Frank Besten. Linda Griffin is the daughter of Margaret Griffin and through her met Frank.
The couple will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on July 23, 2023.
The couple were married July 20, 1973 at the Presbyterian Church in Clarks Summit. The Reverend Robert Hoag married them. It was an evening ceremony held at 7 pm by candlelight.
They had their reception at the Country Inn where they had their first date.
They went on a honeymoon to Niagara Falls in Canada.
Frank is a veteran of the National Guard.
He worked for RCA and Linda worked for Warner-Lampert as a drug sales representative.
The couple enjoyed traveling and went on several cruises. Franks enjoys working outside.
He had an interest in flying and flew for many years. He still has his pilot’s license but no longer flies.
Frank is a member of the State Hospital Board and a member of the Clarks Summit Borough council. He is also on the sewer authority and a committee man of the 114th district.
“Linda is always there to help me and to point me in the right direction when I am trying to get something done. She has been willing to help people for years,’ said Frank Besten
“You have to do a lot of bending and talk things out to come to an agreement. Frank is an honest and honorable man,” said Linda Besten.
They have a son James Besten and his wife, Jennifer Besten, who live in Hockessin, Delaware, and a daughter, Gwen Besten, who lives in East Windsor, New Jersey. They have three grandchildren – Cameron, Gavin and Trevor Besten.
They have a dog, Lu Lu, who is always by Linda’s side.
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Liana Parlanti and Pete Smith went to high school together at Abington Heights. He was the captain of the football team and she was the captain of the cheerleaders. They started going steady in their senior year of high school and got married three years later.
They were married on Aug. 11, 1962, at Our Lady of Snows. Monsignor Charles Heid married them.
They celebrated their 60th anniversary on Aug. 11, 2022.
Their reception was held at the Country Inn in Clarks Summit and they went on a honeymoon to Split Rock Lodge.
Liana worked for a trucking company and then at retail stores and drove special education students for N.E.I.U. for 29 years.
Pete was a high school principal for Abington Heights. He retired after 33 years with the district.
He also was the head wrestling coach for Abington Heights for 5 years.
Pete is a voluntary wrestling coach at Abington Heights and is at every practice and meet.
The couple has three children Ashley Smith Goff and Eddie and Peter Smith and Ari who live in Glenburn. Jason Smith land Carl live in Honesdale.
They have six grandchildren Peter Thomas, Edward, Schuyler, Elliana, Stephen and Kirk. They also have two great grandchildren, Liliana and Landon.
The couple enjoys home projects, gardening, traveling and spending time with their extended family.
“Listen to your partner, love them for who they are and have lots of patience. Enjoy every day because it goes so quickly,” said Liana Smith.
