After 70 years, love still grows for retired farming couple

    WASHBURN, Maine – Doris and James “Jim” McBreairty recently celebrated their 70th anniversary joined by friends and family for the momentous occasion.     Little did the two realize when they were married April 30, 1937, that the same skills they used to run a successful farm for 30 years – patience, caring and daily attention, to name a few – would also serve them well in their many years of marriage. Add to that the most important element – love – and you have the ingredients for seven decades shared together.
Jim was born in Allagash on March 30, 1915, the oldest of Hampton and Sarah (Walker) McBreairty’s 14 children. Doris was born on March 2, 1920, the second of Harry and Leona (Roy) Dickinson’s four children. Though Jim’s family moved to Perham when he was a child, it wasn’t until years later the two would meet.
“Mom did know Dad’s sister, Annie, because they went to 4-H together. Mom and Dad finally met in the early spring of 1936, at the home of Mom’s Uncle Al at a party given by his daughter, Margaret,” said Linda Seward, one of the couple’s daughters.
Seward added that her mother told her she must have made an impression that day, because the very next day Jim came a calling to ask Doris out.
“Their first date was a double date with Mom’s cousin, Margaret, and her boyfriend, Ben Craig,” said Seward.
As the story goes, the couple dated throughout the summer, fall and into the winter. When Christmas came, Jim bought Doris a diamond and asked the big question.
“During the winter months when they were ‘courting,’ Dad would walk up to Mom’s house from Hartson Blackstone’s – about 10 miles – where he was working at the time. He usually stopped in at Dan Turner’s store at Spaulding Siding to buy a bag of cream chocolates – little pointed mounds of white cream filling covered with chocolate. Dad likes to tell that one day when he walked up to see Mom she met him at the door and said, ‘Come on, let’s go down to Dan Turner’s store.’ When he asked her why, she said, ‘To get a marriage license.’ Mom said that’s not exactly how it happened. But whatever the story, they got the license,” said Seward.
When the big day rolled around, Jim had to work in the morning and planned to leave in time to make the 2 p.m. ceremony. But when he went to get his car, he couldn’t find it.
“Reid and Carroll Blackstone had hidden it. By the time he found it, he was late for the wedding,” Seward explained.
Keeping with tradition, Seward said anniversary party guests were served cream chocolates, peanuts and bananas – items found at the couple’s wedding reception in 1937.
In the years that followed, Doris and Jim raised crops and a family of four children, including: Noreen (McBreairty) McIntosh, of Washburn; Linda (McBreairty) Seward, of Perham; Marvin McBreairty, of Brewer; and Molly (McBreairty) Stevens, of Eddington. The family has grown to include 13 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and seven (and one on the way) great-great-grandchildren.
“They’ve been wonderful parents to us and we’re very proud of them. We feel blessed to have had them as examples while growing up,” said Noreen McIntosh.
Money was hard to come by but went a lot farther in the early days, said Doris.
“We started out with not much. My husband says I married him for his money – money he earned. We had $300 and went out and bought everything for a house. We had everything to set up housekeeping,” said Doris.
With the $300, the couple was able to buy furnishings and many of the necessities to make a house a home. They were able to buy a farm of their own by 1940.
“We bought an 111-acre farm in Perham in 1940. We paid $200 down and started from there. We owned farms in Perham for about 30 years – started with potatoes and grain, ended up planting peas,” said Jim. “Peas served as a good rotation crop.”
The farm was a success, according to the pair, because they worked together at it.
“We worked as a team. We got along good farming. She took care of the house and picked potatoes, helped with the farm help. I managed the crops and took care of the horses and machines,” said Jim.
Jim recalled how he started out with horses – one good and one bad – and how that was similar to a marriage.
“I used to say I started with horses – one was real good and the other wasn’t so good. So I traded but was worse off than before, so I traded again and was still worse off. I traded a third time and again was worse off. I stayed with that from there. It’s like marriage, when you have it pretty good, stick with it.”
Farming didn’t slow the McBreairtys down any. While farming and after, Jim got involved with politics at various levels, with his wife by his side.
“Over the years, Dad held practically every office in the town of Perham, among them: selectman, treasurer and tax collector. He served on the School Board for over 20 years and was instrumental in forming SAD 45 and building the new Washburn District High School. Throughout all those years of local service, he also was a successful farmer. After 30 years of very hard work, good management and some luck, my parents retired from farming,” said McIntosh.
According to McIntosh, Doris was also at Jim’s side during the year’s spent in Augusta and was known as one of the ‘Balcony Beauties’ of the Legislature at the time.
“Although never officially elected to an office herself, Mom nevertheless ‘served’ in many capacities during Dad’s public service years and was always at his side as a helpmate, supporter and confidant,” said McIntosh.
Following their retirement from farming, the couple decided to move to Washburn, settling into their new home closer to the center of town.
An outdoor enthusiast, Jim said he’s enjoyed trips by motorcycle and snowmobile over the years, most notably the AMHC Sno-Runs the past couple winters.
“I had some great rides after farming – motorcycle and snowmobile. This past winter I took part in the Sno-Run with my son and grandson,” said Jim, noting it was the first time the three had taken part in the event together.
Although Doris doesn’t snowmobile with Jim, she does like to get outside to enjoy other activities.
“I like to read, enjoy family gatherings,” said Doris, who also takes pride in her housekeeping abilities. “I take care of the house while Jim tends to the lawn and other work that needs to be done outside.”
Jim said staying active is important to a successful marriage.
“That’s another key to a long marriage – keeping busy,” said Jim. “When you get to be 92, you don’t share as much as you used to.”
Still mindful of the value of a dollar, the couple’s outings are carefully planned to include fun at an affordable price.
“We still go to McDonald’s on occasion. We started out simple and we enjoy it that way. We’ve grown to know and understand each other,” said Doris. “We enjoy our time together, time with family and live life to the fullest.”