Local Morgan High School sweethearts celebrate 69 years of marriage

In an age where longevity and commitment in a relationship have become a rare find, it's inspiring to read love stories that have lasted for years, spanning over decades. Every love story has certainly experienced both hardship and good times. Still, it is faithfulness in the midst of mundane tasks and ordinary days that allows a marriage to prosper and endure. Scott and Marlene Peterson's marriage is a beautiful illustration of true, abiding love. 

Scott was born on June 9, 1935, to Dick and Margaret Peterson in their home in Milton, the second of their five children. Scott grew up on the family farm that his grandfather, Lee Peterson, and his father, Dick, worked on together. Scott attended Morgan County schools for his entire elementary, middle and high school years. 

Marlene was born less than a month later, on July 1, 1935, in Morgan, to Lester and Alta Creager, the second of their four children. She was born in the family home located across the railroad tracks on what is now Commercial Street. Marlene's father, Lester Creager, worked for the railroad, so her family relocated to Evanston, Wyoming, when she was still a baby before settling in Echo, where she attended North Summit from first to 10th grade. Years later, Scott and Marlene met during their last few years of school, during which time they had a few shared classes. Marlene said she "decided to date Scott because he was nice." And it wasn't long before the couple fell in love. The new high school sweethearts attended prom together that year and graduated in 1953 from Morgan High School in a graduating class of 39 boys and 10 girls. 

Less than a year after their high school graduation, they decided it was time for another important ceremony in their lives. They chose to get married on March 18, 1954, in the backyard of Marlene's grandparents, Nephi and Sarah Ann Richins, in Echo, Utah. Nephi Richins was ill, but Marlene felt that his attendance on her special day was vital. Since his illness prevented him from traveling for their wedding ceremony, they chose to bring the wedding to him. The circumstances of their wedding location demonstrated the importance of family to Marlene, as well as evidence of the love and admiration she had for her grandfather in choosing to honor him that way. Scott and Marlene had their wedding reception a few days later. 

After they were married, Scott wasted no time making sure he could support his wife and family. Initially, he worked for the railroad as a "watchman." He and a few others were hired to walk the railroad tracks near the Devil's Slide at night to look for rocks that may have rolled off the mountain onto the tracks. 

Shortly after that, he got a different job with Swift's, where he was a meat packer until purchasing the family farm from his father in 1969. The farm then became his full-time job until selling it to his sons around 2020. Scott was also on the Board of Directors at Weber Basin Water from 1991 to 2014. 

During those early years of their marriage, the Petersons were blessed with four sons: Randy, born in 1955, Mike, born in 1958, Paul, who came two years later in 1960, and Chris completed their family in 1964.

Although Marlene got her first job at The Morgan Court House, where she worked part-time in the treasures and assessor's office, from 1955 to 1997, she considered her primary, full-time job as wife and mother, feeding Scott and her boys breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. 

Today, Scott and Marlene still reside in the house they built back in 1979. Additionally, they have also raised many racehorses together over the years and have spent much of their time traveling with their family to watch the horses run. "This is personally one of my favorite things that we do together," great-granddaughter, Aislyn (Peterson) Christiansen, said.

The legacy of their love is exhibited through family, not only in the families from which they each came but the family they have established together from their union of love in marriage. Scott and Marlene have shared 69 years together in marriage. They have now been together long enough to witness their own heritage spanning five generations, a remarkable milestone they treasure: four children, five grandchildren with two step-grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren with three step-great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. Scott calls Marlene his "darlin'" all the time, and Marlene still considers it a joy to cook him all his meals. Their relationship, which spans almost seven decades, is the perfect example that although much time has passed since their story together first began, true love never grows old.

A letter to grandpa and grandma

By Brady Peterson, oldest grandson

My parents divorced when I was a young kid. Living on the farm with the rest of the family gave me the unique opportunity to spend most of my time at grandma and grandpa’s house. There are many memories from my childhood there in their home. One of my fondest childhood memories would definitely be sleepovers at grandma and grandpa’s house. I always remember grandma’s nighttime ritual of putting curlers in her hair and then watching the TV show “Dallas” before we went to bed. When morning would come, it was always bacon and eggs with homemade bread and fresh milk right from the dairy barn. 

I always appreciated that grandma loved being a traditional housewife, and taking care of the cooking, the cleaning and all of the men who were out working on the farm all day. She did all of this while also working a full-time job at the Morgan County Courthouse. There was never a day where there was not a breakfast, lunch and dinner prepared for my grandpa and each of my uncles as they were out working long hours on the farm. Grandma’s house always had plenty of treats to eat and soda pop for drinking. One of my earlier memories was the pop machine that grandma and grandpa kept in their garage that dispensed the old glass bottles. It was always a treat to go grab a quarter and get an ice cold Orange Crush or Squirt. Grandma and grandpa always made sure that the deep freeze was full of yummy ice cream treats. We would enjoy push pops, drumsticks, Dreamsicles and chocolate bars that the Schwann man would deliver each week. 

Grandpa loved animals, particularly horses. I remember spending lots of time every summer going to Wyoming Downs to watch one of grandpa’s horses run. Grandma and grandpa would have to get to the race track early so that they could get the same spot that they sat in every time they went there. Grandma would always buy extra programs for us kids so we could keep track of the winning times and placement of each horse in the race. 

On March 18, Grandma and grandpa will celebrate 69 years of life together. I appreciate their wonderful example of standing by each other’s side through all those years and never giving up on one another. I always tease grandpa that I cannot believe grandma stuck with him for that long, and he always responds by saying I can’t believe she stuck with me this long either. 

My Message to my grandparents

By Aislyn, great-granddaughter

There are no two better people deserving to be recognized than you two. I’ve always looked up to you both and love you so very much. The thing that I love the most is the memories that were made when I was younger. I will forever remember and cherish our weekly Thursday grocery shopping trip with you both, and grandpa would take us to Chuck-a-Rama for lunch afterward when I was little. The countless weekend trips you’d take me on to Boise and Elko to watch your horses run with an old cooler in the back of the car filled with Mountain Dew and Twinkies for the ride. The trips to the stockyards with grandpa just for fun. The weekends that we spent moving cows. Sleepovers with grandma and breakfast in the morning and the horses you had that were named after me. These are all memories that mean more to me than you will ever know. 

Sixty-nine years; that seems like a lifetime. A lifetime of hard work and dedication to each other that I’m sure at times was more than difficult. But I think that’s one that most people would hope for in their marriage in a lifetime together. The relationship that you both have and the sacrifices that you have made for each other do not go unnoticed. I am and will forever be grateful that my kids get the chance to know you. Five generations; that is pretty amazing. Thank you for being an example in more ways than one. Love you both the most.