Inspirational stories leading up to Valentine乌鸦传媒檚 Day are abundant, but few can match how true love has stood the test of time quite like long-time Chemainus couple Ejlif and Anna Mose.

They乌鸦传媒檒l be celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary this year on June 9.

The date they tied the knot in their native Denmark way back in 1951 just happens to coincide with Ejlif乌鸦传媒檚 birthday. 乌鸦传媒淭hat was so he would remember the anniversary,乌鸦传媒� joked daughter Jane.

Ejlif will turn 93 on June 9 and Anna reaches another milestone later in the year with her 90th birthday on Oct. 8.

So what乌鸦传媒檚 the secret to their long and endearing relationship?

乌鸦传媒淲e get along very good,乌鸦传媒� said Ejlif.

乌鸦传媒淚 still love him,乌鸦传媒� added Anna. 乌鸦传媒淗e bugs me once in a while, but I still love him. In the long run, we乌鸦传媒檙e getting along just fine 乌鸦传媒� we must be after that many years. I would have run away a long time ago.乌鸦传媒�

Ejlif乌鸦传媒檚 hearing isn乌鸦传媒檛 quite as good as it used to be. Then, again, that can work out as a convenient excuse if he ever needs one for not following Anna乌鸦传媒檚 instructions.

The couple has enjoyed a prosperous life mostly in Chemainus with their family.

Oldest sons Harry, now 69 and a former mayor of Port Hardy living in Nanaimo, and Allan, 66, of Campbell River were both born in Denmark before Ejlif and Anna emigrated to Canada in 1958.

Once in Canada, Brian, now 61, of Nanoose Bay and Jane, 56, of Saltair were their additions to the family. The Moses have 13 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren and even three great-great grandchildren.

Ejlif and Anna (nee Ohlenschlaeger) were living in Esbjerg, Denmark when they met on March 9, 1950.

乌鸦传媒淲e just met out of the blue,乌鸦传媒� recalled Anna.

乌鸦传媒淚t was about 20 minutes after I came out of the navy,乌鸦传媒� said Ejlif.

乌鸦传媒淭hank God he was out of that,乌鸦传媒� remarked Anna.

Following their early years of married life with the two kids, they thought about relocating.

乌鸦传媒淥ver there in those days, it was hard to get anything to live in,乌鸦传媒� said Anna. 乌鸦传媒淲e always thought we wanted to get out and get somewhere.乌鸦传媒�

So Canada it was, as good a place as anywhere.

Ejlif made the move over first. 乌鸦传媒淚 wanted to have a look at it,乌鸦传媒� he explained.

乌鸦传媒淚 had Harry and Allan, I came five months later,乌鸦传媒� noted Anna. 乌鸦传媒淗arry and Allan were six and three years old.乌鸦传媒�

It was a long trip, five days on the train from Halifax, before arriving on the west coast.

乌鸦传媒淲e came to Canada, fell in love with it, Vancouver Island, and we乌鸦传媒檙e still here,乌鸦传媒� enthused Ejlif.

There were trying times since they actually had to learn English on the fly.

They settled in Ladysmith first for about a year and then bought a house on Henry Road in Chemainus where they stayed for 10 years before moving to Hawthorne Street for 32 years. They乌鸦传媒檝e been in their current residence for another 20 years since 2001.

Ejlif spent the bulk of his working days divided between commercial fishing and the graveyard shift at the previous Chemainus sawmill for 25 years until it closed in 1982.

乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檇 sleep three hours and he乌鸦传媒檇 be gone again,乌鸦传媒� said daughter Jane. 乌鸦传媒淚t was crazy.乌鸦传媒�

But commercial fishing was in Ejlif乌鸦传媒檚 blood and he just stepped up that aspect of his life when the mill closed. He bought a bigger boat and fished fulltime after that. With the family all grown up, Anna went out fishing with him for 10 years.

乌鸦传媒淪adly, he had a heart attack or he would have still been fishing,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淵ou couldn乌鸦传媒檛 get him away from it.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淚 survived, but the doctor told me not to go fishing anymore,乌鸦传媒� noted Ejlif. 乌鸦传媒淚 sold my boat.乌鸦传媒�

He乌鸦传媒檚 otherwise enjoyed good health and so has Anna.

乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e still in fairly good shape, I feel I乌鸦传媒檓 getting tired now,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚 like to read, but my sight is not so good.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e had my little problems, but I乌鸦传媒檓 still here,乌鸦传媒� she smirked. 乌鸦传媒淲hen things come up, you have to think you乌鸦传媒檙e not 25 anymore.乌鸦传媒�

The couple has been fortunate to travel extensively over the years, with numerous trips back to the old country and Hawaii, in particular.

乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e very lucky and we乌鸦传媒檙e here and we乌鸦传媒檙e still together,乌鸦传媒� added Anna. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 what we乌鸦传媒檙e still thankful for. It is hard to believe we乌鸦传媒檝e been together that long. Time has just flown. It乌鸦传媒檚 unreal it乌鸦传媒檚 been 70 years. It hasn乌鸦传媒檛 always been peaches and cream. If someone tells me different, they乌鸦传媒檙e lying.乌鸦传媒�

As much as their love remains strong after so long, this Valentine乌鸦传媒檚 Day is also a reminder of how much they love Chemainus and how the town乌鸦传媒檚 been such an integral part of their lives.

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e seen many countries, but this is special, our town,乌鸦传媒� said Ejlif. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a beautiful place to live. I love it here.

乌鸦传媒淲e met so many nice people here over the years. I can think only good things.乌鸦传媒�

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