Couple find love, wed in South Elgin retirement home
The newlyweds, who had sneaked in a couple of kisses during the ceremony Friday, smooched passionately for a good 15 seconds after they were pronounced husband and wife. Their children, grandchildren and fellow retirement home residents cheered loudly.
Maria Beach, 83, and John Singleton, 86, got married in the dining room of Heritage Woods of South Elgin, where they met two years ago shortly after they moved in. John, a widower, and Maria, who is divorced, said finding love and getting married again was unexpected.
"She trapped me!" John said, as Maria burst out laughing.
"I never expected it, not in a million years," Maria said. "I thought I was over and done with."
Their relationship is simple and devoid of everyday worries about jobs and families, they said. They eat together, watch movies, play cards and generally enjoy the ease of each other's company.
"We're lucky. We like each other," Maria said.
John and Maria complement each other well, said Maria's daughter Susie White of St. Charles.
"As the years have gone one, (my mother) has become a little more forgetful, but she is physically strong," White said. "John physically has a little bit of difficulty but mentally he's very strong."
The wedding announcement came as a surprise, but the family was thrilled, White said.
"They are so cute together," she said. "It's funny because they were nervous, for some reason, about telling the kids, but we all think it's great."
This was the first wedding at Heritage Woods, said Linda Kotel, resident services coordinator.
"I've never seen two people that are in love and that are getting married at this age, and I think this is a wonderful thing," she said. "There is no age limit on finding love."
John, born and raised in Elgin, worked for a local manufacturing company and had two children, one of whom died last month of a stroke at age 60.
Maria, a native of Peru, moved to California in her early 20s and worked as a bilingual interpreter while raising three kids. She moved to Illinois about 15 years ago to be near White and her grandchildren.
John is easy to talk to and respectful, Maria said. "Sometimes you find somebody who's too pushy and too fresh. I had that experience before, and I stay away from that."
The two ate together and hung out for a while, and eventually John started visiting Maria in her one-bedroom apartment at the retirement home. "Then it got a little crazy," he said with a big smile.
The couple now are adjusting to shared life in a one-bedroom apartment of their own. "She's a lovely lady, real sweet," John said. "It's been a real pleasure being with her."