For over 56 years Don and Linda Adams have faced joys and the pressures of marriage, farming and family as partners.
The two Munson kids grew up close together, but it took a few years for the sparks to fly.
“Munson was a wonderful little town. Like all little towns were back then everybody was safe, and you knew everybody,” recalls Linda.
Her parents bought the former hardware store and turned it into a grocer. They lived in the Munson Bank, which is now at Heritage Park.
The couple knew each other in school, with Don a year younger. They were chums and their families got along.
Don continued the family tradition of farming, and Linda, after school became a nurse training in Lamont, and then working in Edmonton for about a year.
“Then I came back to Drumheller to nurse, and I was only going to be here for probably six months maximum,” she said. “Our families did some things together and it grew from there.”
“When she came back we sort of connected and started going to dances. There were dances in Munson, Morrin Rumsey… everywhere. I was single as were most of my friends, and we travelled quite a bit going to dances,” said Don.
While there was familiarity, a spark did come.
“Thinking back, Bob and Wendy Sharpe were really good friends of ours and I think the spark was at their wedding dance,” said Linda.
Their love grew at dances, as well as a number of trips to Calgary for special occasions.
They were together for about a year when Linda had a job opportunity that would take her out of the community. This lit a bit of fire under Don.
“After I proposed, she decided that maybe she would stay,” laughs Don.
Don was still farming, so they were married on March 8 at the Munson United Church before seeding began. They did manage to head out in their brand new car for a Disneyland honeymoon.
They made the decision that Linda would not continue with her nursing career and would start a family. Part of the deal was working on the family farm. He had already taught her to drive truck when they were short on having a hired man.
“Over the years she has been the truck driver, the ‘gopher,’ combine operator, and filled in as needed. I would like to think it kind of went both ways,” said Don.
Not long after, they became a family. Aiming for four children they had their first, Scott. They didn't waste any time and Linda found herself pregnant again, this time with twins, Bret and Trevor.
“We had three babies under 14 months, I wasn’t much help on the farm for a while,” she chuckles.
“We thought that we almost had that under control, so we thought we would have number four. We had a boy Gregory, who passed away at six months with heart problems,” said Don.
They then adopted a little girl, Sandra, making a happy family of six.
Since then however, tragically Trevor and Sandra both passed away.
“That has been a huge part of our marriage,” said Linda. “We have survived and are probably closer because of it.”
Today they have eight grandchildren.
The couple moved to Drumheller 27 years ago, although with most old farmers, they never really retire.
“I go up to the farm and get in the way,” laughs Don, adding he has been working on the farm since he was 14.
The family has endured and they agree it is because of the partnership they made.
“One of the biggest things about our marriage and Donald is that he never said ‘I’. He always says ‘we.’ That is huge for me. I always hear people say ‘I did this’, or ‘I own that,’ but in our relationship it is ‘we,’” said Linda.
“Part of a partnership is taking turns looking after each other.”
“Some people say its marrying the right man or the right woman,” said Don, “I guess we were lucky with how things worked out.”
“It wasn’t just luck, there was some hard work,” adds Linda.
