Against all odds. . .

Fifty years ago, M'liss donned this veil to wed Chuck.

 We joined friends of Chuck and M'liss Switzer Sunday to celebrate the couple's fiftieth wedding anniversary.
Theirs is a most remarkable achievement. Renown nationally for their dramatic recovery from their struggle with domestic violence, the couple wrote a book about it ("Called to Account" by M'liss Switzer), have made appearances on television shows (Donahue, Turning Point, Nightline), and teach seminarians and lead public forums, all to put light on this difficult topic.

Chuck retired from the post office a while back

During those years of violence and a healthy recovery from it, the couple raised three beautiful children. The children hosted the golden anniversary party at daughter Rachel's home in south Minneapolis. The enduring bonds of affection were obvious.
"Thank you, Mom and Dad, for raising us to be just dysfunctional enough to continue to need each other," quipped Rachel.
Kathleen and M'liss were childhood chums and Kathleen added her testimony to the many toasts: M'liss helped get Kathleen her first job -- at Woolworth's. "I'm not old enough," 15-year-old Kathleen had protested. "Oh, that's no problem, they never check any of that," her 18-year-old mentor assured her. So Kathleen told her lie, started earning big money. . . and within a month was fired for being too young.
Chuck and M'liss have toured the world, fearlessly going to the most unlikely places at the most unlikely times. Russia, China, Africa, South America, the Third World, but not Antarctica -- yet.
Where were they the week after 9/11?  Afghanistan.
We're sure they got a good deal on the tickets.

From left,  Rachel (party was in her house) ; Elgin (he mugged in all the
photos) and Rebecca (she's an MD; she milked the goats on the family farm,
then delivered a baby boy at the hospital before driving to the party)