St. Charles couple celebrate 75th anniversary with help from family, friends

Val Dallesasse had a natural reaction when her boyfriend Rudy proposed to her.

"It's about time," she said.

Rudy and Val Dallesasse - married when they were each 20 years old and on the same day the Japanese formally surrendered in World War II - celebrated their 75th anniversary Wednesday at their St. Charles home with family, friends and their dog Bentley.

Several cars, including one from the Kane County sheriff's department, drove by and honked to honor a couple who are woven into the fabric of the neighborhood and the city.

They met in kindergarten and went on their first date when they were seniors in high school. The rest is literal history.

Rudy, who was on a weekend pass from the Navy when he married Val, was in the grocery business for decades. For years, he and Val owned the Dairy Queen on Main Street across from Thompson Middle School.

Living in their house on the lake for more than four decades, they've watched the region grow up around them.

"So much has changed through the years," Rudy said. "We've seen a lot together."

They've come a long way since Rudy, sitting behind Val in grade school, sneakily tied her to her chair with the strings on the back of her dress. They raised five children, and all three of their surviving children celebrated with their parents on Wednesday.

"It really is amazing how long they've been together," said their daughter Joann Dunlap. "They've had a few minor health issues and it's tougher for them to get around, but they're still managing here in their own home."

Joann and her siblings, Susan Scolz and John Dallesasse, don't live locally, but they're thankful for neighbors like Steve and Jody Fox and so many others who help their 95-year-old parents.

"We're the lucky ones," Jody Fox said. "They're just a joy to be around."

Val likes to joke how she married an older man, and it's true that Rudy is six weeks older. They've traded friendly barbs for three-quarters of a century while rarely spending time apart.

They spent their wedding night at the Palmer House in Chicago and enjoyed a brief honeymoon in Iowa, where Rudy was stationed. With the war over, Rudy was soon discharged from the Navy and they began a lifetime together.

Seventy-five years later, they're still going strong.

"It kind of grew through the years," Val said. "You plant a seed and it keeps growing."