Matters of the Heart: Jan and George Kitley, a fairytale and more

Front Row: Georgia, Layton, Jan and George. Back Row: Natalie, Jessica, Dalton, Kenny, Isaac, Cassie, Sam and Barbara. Picture Courtesy of Cheryl Bayerl

by Cindy Lance

The typical Once upon a timeintroduction is the way Janice (Hale) Kitley believes her almost 58 year marriage to George Kitley should be introduced because it has been a fairytale, complete with the princess kissing the frog and finding it to be a prince. Silliness aside, Janice says the introduction aligns with the foundations of their marriage: to work as a team, impart humor whenever and wherever possible, and to laugh loud and often.

Janice “Jan” grew up in Jackson, and met George, a “Munithian” in the early summer of 1960 at the Jackson Drive In. He was on a date with her best friend, and she was with a gentleman and some friends. The two met again about a month later while Jan was camping at Portage Lake. George told his friends that this was the woman he would marry. Two days later, George and Jan went on their first date to a popular spot called Bea’s Drive In.

After dating a few months, George proposed marriage on Dec. 24, 1960.

Jan, tongue in cheek, said she chose the April 15, 1961 wedding date because it was tax-day, and she felt George would have an easier time remembering their anniversary. The wedding cost $200 and took place at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Jackson.

George’s brother Dewayne “Bud” Kitley painted “help me” on the bottoms of George’s shoes, so when he knelt with Jan, attendees read the words. On rising, George stood on Jan’s  dress, and she was momentarily unable to stand. These acts may have contributed to the running family joke that Jan shackled George to her.

The couple comments that though they woke up to a deep snowfall the next day, their wedding day was beautiful.

George and Jan were blessed with four children, Karla Kowalec, Cheryl Bayerl, Ken (Tracy) Kitley and Cindy (Doug) Lance. But the birth of grandchildren has a way of becoming even greater blessings than children. George and Jan joke that they wish they had their 9 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren first.

“Papa and Mimi,” as they are fondly called, have played an integral role in shaping their grandchildren and great-grandchildren into the people they are today. Their current list of blessings includes grandchildren: Jessica (Chad) Carr, Kenny (Lisa) Kitley, Samuel (Kait) Bayerl, Cassandra (Josh) Watson, Georgia (Ryan) Ashbaugh, Barbara Lance, Natalie Kowalec, Dalton Kitley, and Isaac Lance; and great grandsons: Layton and Brady Carr.

In the earlier years of their marriage, George and Jan enjoyed square dancing with a large group of friends at the Munith American Legion Hall. George bowled two nights a week with his dad, “Pappy,” at Stockbridge Bowl. Jan crochets, knits, quilts, and has been the organist and led the choir at the Munith United Methodist Church for the past 45 years.

Their greatest joys, they say, came from family dinners every night at 5:30 p.m. when the children were still at home and Sunday dinners with their children and grandchildren. These continue to this day. Another joy comes from whole family vacations to the Upper Peninsula that have been taking place every July for 29 years. To George and Jan, family matters most, and family brings us back to the “fairytale” marriage.

As readers may have surmised from the liberties this reporter has taken in writing this article, and from the names of four Kitley children, this reporter is a proud part of this loud, joking and all-about-food family. When we children were growing up, we were taught that marriage is a full-time job, hard but worthwhile.

In 1996, just a year after his beloved sister, Barb Smith, passed away, my dad was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer. Doctors projected that he had 6 months to a year to live. Without any formal training mom became a live-in surrogate nurse. And for the next 23 years, as of March 2019, they have battled this illness together. Mom’s love and commitment, along with his Kitley stubbornness, love of family, and their faith and humor have kept Dad with us.

What makes for a long and happy marriage? Dad cheekily preached, “Happy Wife, Happy Life.” Both say not to give up, to take care of each other, and remember that you love each other. Perseverance sums it up.

So thank you, Mom and Dad for setting a wonderful example of what a true marriage is: not a fairytale, not rainbows and roses, not anything flashy or showy—but so much more. May all marriages be so blessed.

And they lived happily ever after. The end.