More than six decades ago Barb Ouellette had no idea how much hockey and baseball she would watch over the coming years, but with 64 years of marriage under their belts, seven children, and nine grandchildren, Roger, 89, and Barb, 86, Ouellette wouldn’t change a thing.
Barb was working at the Toronto Dominion Bank in Oyen and Roger was a young man working for Canadian Utilities.
When Roger is asked what he thinks caught her eye all those years ago, he chuckles said it was his new 1954 Plymouth. Barb however laughs and says a year after they were married they had to sell it and get a used car.
Another version of their story had to do with a tardy Canadian Utilities worker trying to cash his pay cheque.
“That bank was only open until noon on Saturdays and he came running in at five to 12 and I had to let him in and out because the door was locked,” said Barb. “Don’t ask me how much his cheque was because I wasn’t the teller!”
As for dating, Barb says “We went to ball games and hockey games, the same thing we do now,” she laughs. Roger, of course, was an avid baseball and hockey player. As the children and grandchildren sprouted up they were involved in sports with them.
The life of a lineman didn’t keep them in one spot for too long. They were married in Oyen and had their first daughter. Their second daughter was born in Three Hills. After that, they moved to Consort where they stayed for 15 years and had five more children. Barb’s best Valentine gift was her seventh child, Glenn who was born on February 14, 1965.
“Very fertile county there,” said Barb.
After that, they were in Drumheller for five years, and then up to Vermillion. They moved to Three Hills where Roger retired. After a short stint in Stettler, they moved back to Drumheller in 1996.
Even after retirement, he was busy on the field. In fact, they would winter in Arizona and for 15 years he played senior ball. Even after they no longer went south, he continued to play with a team from Linden.
It was a rigorous schedule with tournaments almost every weekend. Barb would accompany him on the trips.
“I liked watching baseball. I never played because I was scared of the ball,” she said.
They also did some travelling together. They went to Alaska, Mexico, and a cross Canada trip after Roger retired. One memorable trip was a snowmobiling trip to Yellowstone that Roger won.
The secret to 64 years of marriage? According to Barb, is they simply got along. They weren’t the jealous types.
“We didn’t smother each other, he went with his friends, and I went with mine, and then we would go together. We are compatible… we had a happy medium.”
“The secret is separating work life from personal life.”
