Joyce and Ron Gelsinger share their thoughts on reaching 70 years of wedded bliss.

By Robin GOLDSWORTHY
It was during a street dance in Montrose that Joyce Miller looked across the avenue and spied Ron Gelsinger.

“Montrose used to have street dances on Saturday night; they’d close the street and bring in bands,” Joyce recalled. “I was there with a group of girlfriends.”

As luck would have it, Ron was there with a group of buddies and, though the two both attended Glendale High School, it wasn’t until they caught each other’s eye at that dance that they were smitten.

It wasn’t long after that they planned to wed, though Joyce said that came with its own complications.

“Back then, a woman could get and sign a marriage license at age 18,” she said, “but men had to be 21. Ron had to take his mom so she could give her approval [for us to get married]!”

Joyce had moved to Briggs Avenue from Chicago when she was 5 years old. Ron’s father Peter had started Gelsinger Meats, which was quickly becoming a staple in the area, and Ron had planned to work with his dad full time after completing college. But then the Korean War broke out. He was with the Navy Reserve and stationed in San Diego in the “culinary end of things.” Joyce joined him down in Mission Bay.

After the war, the pair settled back in Montrose where they raised their family, which grew to five children.

“Montrose was a wonderful place to grow up and to raise a family,” Joyce said.

Over the years, Ron took over the business from his father and has since turned things over to his kids Kirk, Kevin and Kerri.

“I feel good seeing the kids involved,” said Ron. “I always wanted to bring in as many kids as possible into the business. We’re very thrilled.”

The couple recently celebrated 70 years of marriage and now lives in the Oxnard area. Though the time “flew by pretty darn fast,” they are pleased by everything they built over the years.

“We feel extremely blessed,” he said. “We have a wonderful, healthy family and they all get along well. We have 20 grandkids and 10 great grandkids. They’re all healthy.”

The couple notes that the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren make up the glue that keeps things together though reaching 70 years takes a lot.

“We never ever thought we’d be married 70 years,” Joyce said. “Fifty years – yes. But we never thought 70!”

The pair credits their kids and their business among the things that have fueled them to “stick it out” these past 70 years.

“Those are the types of things that keep you together,” Joyce said. “And you’ve got to go with the flow.”

“And always say yes,” Ron added.