Love Stories: Iowa couple with love of travel drop everything, move west to be near only son and his family in Spokane

In the 1800s a newspaper editor from Indiana penned the words, “Go west, young man,” and people have been moving west ever since.

Not just young men, either.

Several years ago Ed and Lois Richardson sold their home and most of their belongings in Iowa and moved to Spokane to be closer to their only child.

Ed, 80 and Lois, 79, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary June 16, and their westward adventure aptly depicts their active lifestyle.

They had met at school in the tiny farm town of Goldfield, Iowa. Neither is quite sure who noticed who first, but Lois said, “It was probably me. I was the pushy one, I suppose.”

Ed thinks the attraction may have had something to do with his wheels.

“I had a Ford pickup,” he recalled.

Laughter, teasing, and smiles abounded as the couple recalled their six decades of marriage.

They dated throughout high school, and when Ed graduated, he joined the Army.

“I was going to get drafted anyway,” he explained.

By December 1956, they were engaged.

“I was going to wait for him to get out of the service,” Lois said. “But then he called and said he was being sent to Germany and if we got married, I could go with him.”

She was attending business school at the time, hoping to become a court reporter.

“He ruined my career,” she said, grinning.

She had a month and a half to plan a wedding. Her mother wasn’t pleased by the sudden turn of events. Lois was her youngest child and only daughter.

On June 16, 1957, they married in the chapel of the Army base in Aberdeen, Maryland.

“There was a wedding right before ours, so we had flowers,” Ed said.

The honeymoon would have to wait, as he’d used up his leave time. They stayed in an apartment off base and a month later, Ed left for Germany and Lois returned to Iowa.

Five months later, she joined him in Germany.

“I was homesick,” Lois admitted. But soon the travel bug bit her.

Thanks to several temporary assignments, the couple visited France and Italy, and traveled throughout Europe when Ed had leave.

When he finished his commitment to Uncle Sam, they returned stateside and settled in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

They both scrambled for jobs.

“We were broke,” Lois said.

She took a job at an insurance company, and Ed found work selling 3M products. Eventually, he started his own company, selling educational products to schools. His territory encompassed much of the state.

In 1963, their family expanded with the birth of their son, Steven.

Though Ed traveled a lot, they always made time for family camping trips and outdoor adventures like snowmobiling and boating.

And they didn’t confine their travels to the states.

“We’ve been back to Germany every few years,” said Lois.

They hosted a German exchange student and became friends with the family. They also visited England, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and for the past 22 years, every February they take a trip somewhere with two other couples, often to Mexico.

“I think the Army did it,” she said, reflecting on their love of travel. “We’re always planning a trip.”

Nine years ago, their son, a physician, moved to Spokane. He and his wife have three children.

“One night, Caleb, our oldest grandson called,” Lois said. “He said he’d made a basket during a game. I hung up the phone and said, ‘That’s it.’ I didn’t want to miss their growing up.”

Within a year, they’d sold the house they’d lived in for 35 years in Fort Dodge and moved to Spokane.

Forging a life in a new city didn’t intimidate the pair. They started having breakfast at the McDonald’s restaurant on Regal Street and noticed they saw the same folks there, repeatedly.

The outgoing couple struck up conversations and friendships blossomed. When Lois noted it was mainly just guys at breakfast, she started a monthly dinner.

“Now there’s about 22 of us,” she said.

They also joined the Southside Senior Activity Center where Lois enjoys being part of the knitting group.

They’ve always pursued their own interests and think that’s one of the reasons their union has been so successful.

“We’re pretty independent people,” Lois said. “He’s interested in the stock market, and I don’t understand a word he’s saying.”

Ed said married life is a lot like sales.

“You develop a relationship. You learn what they like and don’t like,” he said. “It’s pretty simple, really. So many people make it complicated.”

His easygoing manner perfectly matched his wife’s more take-charge approach.

“She’ll make a decision, and I’m happy about that,” he said, smiling.

While they miss their friends in Iowa, they don’t regret their westward move for a minute. They’re too busy enjoying their grandchildren and making new friends. Both say the years have simply flown by.

“The older you get the faster time goes,” said Lois. “It doesn’t feel like we’ve been married 60 years.”