Couple celebrating 50 years says marriage is worth the struggle

Courtesy photo/Jerry Davis

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Helen and Al Averill will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary Jan. 14. Their philosophy is a husband and a wife must both be peacemakers.

MAYFIELD — "The family, which is founded and given life by love, is a community of persons: of husband and wife, of parents and children, of relatives," said Pope John Paul II in his Apostolic Exhortation on the Family in 1981.

Al and Helen Averill were married 50 years ago on Jan. 14, 1961. "Our marriage has not been perfect, but marriage is always worth the struggle," said Helen Averill. "You don’t give up, you can’t give up. We knew we had so much in common when we married. Marriage is a serious thing and people should realize that when they get married it is for better and for worse. Whether you are rich or poor, marriage is the bond between you and your spouse, the church and the Holy Spirit."

"Al and Helen are very spiritual people," said Jerry Davis of Saint Elizabeth Parish in Central Valley. "They have kept their marriage together for all these years by relying on God."

The Averills live in Mayfield and are members of Saint Jude Mission in Ephraim, although Helen has been a bookkeeper for St. Elizabeth. They are active in many ministries, said Father Rick Sherman, pastor of St. Jude Mission. "They are Eucharistic ministers, active in book discussions, both have done bookkeeping; they help transport people to Mass and help during our hospitality hour. Helen is a lector and Al is an usher and does a lot of maintenance work. One of many impressive things about them is they are still such learners. They’ve raised their family, had their careers but they keep learning and participating. Helen is now working in hospice care."

The Averills moved to Utah over 12 years ago from California, where Al Averill worked for the State of California transportation system for 32 years. "Every time he got a promotion, we moved," said Helen Averill. "He was from Massachusetts and I was from southern California; we met through his friend. He was Catholic and I was Lutheran, and of course, the object of marriage is children so before we got married I realized someone was going to have to give. I was not going to have our kids going to two different churches. I became Catholic before we were married and we only knew each other for six months."

Averill found conversion difficult because the Mass was in Latin and she had been close to the Lutheran faith. "I converted so we could be married and I have been happy with my choice ever since," she said. "After Vatican II, the church started changing by turning the altar around, speaking in English and there was a lot more singing. I realized I had become Catholic, but the Church was becoming more Lutheran."

The Averills soon started their family and have two daughters. They moved throughout California about eight times until Al’s retirement in 1998. They now have four grandchildren and two great-grand children.

"After Al retired, we moved to Mayfield," said Averill. "We live on 17 acres and have an alfalfa ranch. We are very active in the Church because it is such a privilege to help the priests and a true blessing from God. It is important to have a relationship with God and to stay involved with your church for your family. Jesus was a peacemaker, and when you are married you realize everything can’t be your way. You both have to be peacemakers."