Well-known and longtime Weyburn couple Ben and Sylvia Folk are celebrating a real milestone today as they have both been married to each other for 65 years.

The Folks moved to Weyburn in 1955 from Benson, Saskatchewan, and were married the following year. The two have been happily living and working in Weyburn ever since with them both retiring in recent years due to Ben's growing health concerns.

"We've had a pretty good relationship to last this long I think," expressed Sylvia Folk. "We've lived a really good life here in Weyburn since the 50s. I came here to work and Ben followed me here. So we've been here ever since. Ben just had his 90th birthday in May and I will have my 84th in November."

She said that they have been lucky to not have any major relationship problems over the years and stated that it is important to deal with issues as they first arise as opposed to allowing them to become worse and more serious by not talking about them.

"Everything isn't 100 percent, that's for sure, but we haven't had anything too desperately wrong that's caused any problems that we couldn't handle," Folk told. "Maybe a bit of hollering once in a while but that's all. Ben would just walk away from it all anyway. He has big shoulders."

The couple met and dated for approximately two years in Benson before finally tying the knot in their new home of Weyburn.

"Ben's family was all in Benson so I knew the Folk family really well and chummed around with his sister quite a bit and she was a really good friend of mine," explained Folk. "She passed away here at 53 years old from cancer. She was like a second mother to my children and we've missed her all through the years since she's been gone."

Ben worked on the oil rigs before moving to Weyburn and then began working at Western Wire (now known as Nexans) after moving to the city. He worked with that company for 27 years before starting his own business in town where he drove a vacuum truck and a water truck for various excavation and cleaning projects.

"He worked well into his 70s before he decided that was enough," Folk shared. "His health made him quit or he'd probably still be driving. At a certain age, you need to throw in the towel and say that you've worked enough years. Myself, I worked in a bank when I came to Weyburn and carried on with that for quite a few years. I had a few other little jobs after that and then with the children, I finally decided that my place is at home. But I still helped Ben with his business by answering phones, doing books, and even drove the water truck sometimes."

Sylvia and Ben parented four children over the years with one of their sons passing away, unfortunately. Now they have two sons and one daughter here in Weyburn as well as nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Now the couple is enjoying their retirement in Weyburn and they have found many ways to stay involved in the community.

Aside from visiting with their family, the Folks like to watch sports and go out to their daughter's farm just outside of town where they often grow peas and are currently harvesting various other crops.

Sylvia expressed that family is the most important part of her and Ben's life as they continue their life here in the community that welcomed them in with open arms 66 years ago.

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