Maintaining one’s own space is a well-known trait of successful couples.
In the case of Fred Teachout, 99, and Maybelle Hollingworth, 92, who Fred is sweet on, keeping their own Marysville apartments is working out dandy.
They were named King and Queen for Valentine’s Day at Windsor Square Retirement Community in Marysville and will ride, waving from a convertible in the Strawberry Festival parade this year.
There are big party doings planned for Teachout’s 100th birthday in June.
During the week they often walk together to Fred Meyer to shop for groceries. She cooks him lunch.
After lovely days together, they say good night at 7:30 p.m.
Teachout, born in Spokane, moved to Seattle with his family at age 4. He graduated from West Seattle High School. He married and has a son in Shoreline and a daughter in Orting.
“I have a gang of grandchildren and great grandchildren,” he said.
He worked in the home furnishing business, buying furniture for department stores, and sold floor coverings. He was married for 61 years and his wife died a dozen years ago.
Teachout, whose apartment is decorated with his acrylic paintings, has lived in Marysville for nine years. Men in his family, he said, usually die at age 59 or 60. One man hit 70.
Hollingworth is from North Dakota. Her parents, farmers, had 11 children and she was number 10.
She is the only one still living, Hollingworth said. She was divorced in the early 1950s and never remarried. She came to Washington from Minnesota in 1964 to be near her extended family. She raised four boys on her own. She retired from working for the state employment security department and has lived in Marysville for 20 years.
Their romance began after she moved to Windsor Square four years ago. Her dinner partner was a friend of Teachout’s.
“He introduced us,” Hollingworth said. “I liked Fred’s sense of humor.”
To win over the man with a kind and gentle way about him, she baked him an apple pie.
“She is a gourmet cook,” Teachout said. “I’m a meat and potato guy.”
Indeed, there was corned beef simmering in the efficient kitchen. The two have a set routine. Teachout likes to have breakfast in the community dining room with his buddies. Hollingworth prefers mornings to herself in her own apartment. Teachout likes to walk a mile and a half every day.
About 11 a.m. there is always a knock on the door.
She welcomes in her beau and makes him lunch. Sometimes they play rummy.
They both like to read mysteries and pass books back and forth. They also serve as the librarians at Windsor Square.
“We can sit for hours and not talk,” Hollingworth said. “We take the bus to Angel of the Winds.”
Their last big trip was an Alaskan cruise two years ago. It sounded like they had a great time. Teachout said, even at 3 a.m., there would be a bar open.
They enjoy a spot of white wine. He gave up drinking bourbon and water.
Her four sons like him, Teachout said.
“They are very friendly,” he said. “My family — they like her more than they like me.”
Healthwise, Teachout never has a cold or a headache, just arthritis in his legs. Hollingworth is undergoing treatments for lymphoma and has heart disease.
“We fight once in awhile,” Teachout said. “It’s fun making up.”
He said he couldn’t explain what he loved about her, but he liked her smile.
They held hands while they spoke to me.
OK, they admitted, he doesn’t go home at 7:30 p.m. every night.
Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451, oharran@heraldnet.com.
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