Ed and Estelle Lanetz of Bethel Park celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on June 10 with a family dinner on Mt. Washington. They were married on June 10, 1959 at St. Adalbert's on the South Side and are blessed with three children, Kim, Keith (daughter-in-law, Marge) and Ed (daughter-in-law, Jennifer), and seven grandchildren: Justin, Joshua, Breana, Hunter, Jessica, Mackenzie & Jeweliana.

Q: How did you meet?

Estelle: I was introduced at a dance on the South Side at the Lithuanian Hall.

Q: Who introduced you?

Estelle: I was introduced to my husband-to-be by his friend Toney at a dance. Toney showed me who his friend Ed was, who was home on leave. He asked me if I would like to dance with him. At first, I was hesitant because I thought he had a big nose! But after I danced with Ed, it was love at first sight. I remember that Ed had on a blue shoulder pad suit from Hong Kong that he brought home with him on leave.

Q: Where did you each grow up?

Ed: We both grew up on the South Side where we also moved into our own place after they were married. We raised our family of three children in Bon Air and later moved to Bethel Park.

Q: Who proposed? How?

Ed: I asked Estelle's father, Simon Saviekis, who was a Pittsburgh police officer, for permission to marry her. It made me a little nervous, but the request was granted.

Estelle: I remember on the day of my wedding my father sitting me down and telling me that I didn't have to get married if I didn't want to, but my mind was made up. Ed was the man I wanted to marry.

Q: Where were you married?

Estelle: We were married at St. Adalbert's on the South Side

Q: Where was the reception and honeymoon?

Estelle: Our reception was held at the same place where we met, Lithuanian Hall and we quickly left for our honeymoon. We spent a night at Conneaut Lake and later went to Niagara Falls.

Q: What is your favorite wedding memory?

Estelle: Well, we didn't have much money back then. I remember taking a large box of cookies from the wedding and we pretty much ate them through the whole honeymoon. It was quite some time before we were able to eat cookies again after the honeymoon. We made due with what we had.

Q: What is the secret to your successful marriage?

Ed: I believe that we both agree our secret to being married so long, is that we've both learned to give and take, talk things over and sometimes let things go in one ear and out the other. That might be more my theory than Estelle's. No marriage is perfect; it takes a lot of work.

Q: What activity do you enjoy doing most as a couple?

Estelle: We both like to travel. We have visited Hawaii, gone on two trips to Europe and made several trips to Florida and Hilton Head with our kids and grandchildren. Ed likes to tour Europe and I love to gamble at Las Vegas and Atlantic City, but we compromise and take turns with our vacation plans. I haven't seen a place to gamble that I didn't like.

Q: How did you celebrate your anniversary?

Estelle: Our 50th anniversary will be celebrated with all of our children and their seven grandchildren. We plan on having a nice dinner atop Mt.Washington and then some family time after. We may also plan a small trip together to celebrate.