For years, Chief Sonny Leeman has presided over the meetings in the South Bristol Fire House.
Last month, his wife Sally was the Chief, as the Leemans, their children, their grandchildren and their great grandchildren celebrated the couples’ 50th wedding anniversary with another wedding.
They were married on June 26, 1959 and renewed their vows July 11. According to Sally Leeman the secret for a happy marriage is no secret.
“We just get along,” she said. “He is quiet, I am mouthy. We had lots of sadness but we are just important to each other,” she said.
The Leeman’s story began in 1953, when Sally’s parents moved to South Bristol. She was 11 and enrolled in the tiny village school. The next year, she says she developed a big crush on him. He was a year older but was not into girls at the time, she said.
When she was 15, something happened.
“I remember the date, April 20, 1957. He came up to me. ‘You wouldn’t go out with me if I asked you,’ he said. I said: ‘ask me and find out.’ He did and I said yes,” she said.
They were married soon after Sonny got out of high school. They settled in. They had four kids. He went lobstering and dragging.
For the last 10 years, the softspoken Sonny has worked as the manager of the South Bristol Lobsterman’s Co-op.
Along the way the Leeman’s have had some sadness. Two of their four children have passed away. Sally admits those were tough times but they got through it.
“He is a kind man. He loves kids. We are just a family and just get along,” she said.
For the couple, marriage is important – to them. As for others, she says she could care less what they do.
“Most of the time he agrees with me when I ask something. Not always, but when he says no, it is not a family thing. It is something important outside,” she said.
For 40 years, Sonny has been part of the South Bristol Volunteer Fire Department. He was chief for 24 years before he stepped down. He remains active in the department as assistant chief.
Sally planned the 50th Anniversary celebration. They held it upstairs in the South Bristol fire house.
“I like doing things myself,” she said. “I did most of the work myself. I made my own cake. I did my own flowers. I made a 120-page scrapbook too.”
Sally said they did it up big because 50 years ago, it was a small ceremony.
“I just wanted to have a big wedding because I never had one,” she said. “We were married in my parents’ living room…I thought what better way to celebrate than with family. We had 120 guests.”
Sally even made a special cake for the groom. “Groom’s cake was a nose with a ring in it because he says I lead him around through the nose,” she said.
While the celebration was filled with laughter, there was a somber moment when the couple’s oldest daughter Terry Mitchell stood up to speak.
“I told them that everyone whose lives they touched was made fuller by the way they showed their love for each other and everyone else,” Mitchell said.
“She made me cry. That was so nice,” said Sally.
Days after the ceremony, the blushing bride revealed one of her special secrets to a long and happy marriage.
“We have two TV sets. He watches sports, a Yankee fan living in the midst of the Red Sox nation,” she said.
She watches the Food Channel, murder mysteries and “cute silly movies,” she said.
“I tell him he is almost perfect,” she said with a giggle. “He is just not rich.”
