Bernard and Mary Louise Chapman

Bernard and Mary Louise Chapman are celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary in 2015.

Mary Louise Irelan met the love of her life in the fall of 1942 at a dance at the University of Washington. Since the nation was at war, there were few men on campus so sailors from Sand Point Naval Station were invited to attend. Bernard Roy Chapman was one of the sailors. When Bernard had to leave in January 1943 to go to sea, he knew Mary Louise was to become a big part of his life. They married Aug. 25, 1945, in Kirkland, Wash., while Bernard was home on leave.

After Bernard wad discharged from the Navy in January 1946, the Chapmans made their home in Kirkland and then Kennewick, Wash., in 1950. Bernard established his general construction company, BR Chapman Construction, which he ran for 36 years. He also was active in the community, helping to build the Benton-Franklin County Fair and Rodeo grandstands, horse barns and race track, and the Eastern Benton County Historical Museum.

Mary Louise gave of her time and talents to Camp Fire, 4-H and Red Cross (35 years as hostess, and donation of 94 units of blood). She also helped establish Kennewick General Hospital and its auxiliary. She was selected as Tri Cities Woman of Achievement in 1966.

Both Bernard and Mary Louise served as superintendents at the Benton Franklin Fair and were involved in the rodeo with the Benton County Mounted Posse.

In 1986 the Chapmans retired to their mountain cabin in the Tollgate area of the Blue Mountains, where they became involved in the Tollgate Trail Finders Snowmobile Club as well as driving the snowcat and groomer over winter recreational trails once a week for 26 years, and designing and organizing the construction of a building for equipment, two large warming shelters, a toilet at Morning Creek Snow Park and a clubhouse. Bernard was awarded the national “People Serving People” award from the U.S. Forest Service, and both were honored as Snowmobilers of the Year by the Tollgate Trail Finders and the Oregon State Snowmobile Association. The Chapmans in 2014 were honored again by the USFS with the renaming of the Bone Springs~Chapman Warming Shelter.

The Chapmans are the parents of Marcella (Rod) Morrow of Richland, Wash./Tollgate, Richard Chapman (deceased), Les (Dee) Chapman of Kennewick and Barbara (David) Hays, Pasco, Wash. They also have 13 grandchildren and 18 great-granchildren.

Bernard and Mary Louise still live in their mountain home at the ages of 91 and 90. Send cards of congratulations to Mary Louise and Bernard Chapman, 63696 Bald Mountain Loop, Weston, OR 97886.