Mark Hogge and Gail Whitbread were married on June 20, 1970, at the Presbyterian Church in Baker, Oregon. They met when Gail was in eighth grade and Mark was a junior in high school. Mark had his eye on Gail early on when she would go shopping with her mom at Kennedy’s Grocery, where he worked. Gail thought he was pretty cool because he had a car. He asked her to a dance at the Armory in Baker and her dad said she could go out with him this one time. Four years later, Mark proposed to Gail at the Royal Cafe in Baker. He had just been released from the military with an honorable discharge due to a football injury. Gail said yes, and the rest is history!

During the next 20 years, Mark worked as a logger, butcher, builder and finally as a correctional officer at EOCI in Pendleton. Gail stayed at home and lovingly cared for Mark and their two children, Jason and Jenny. The two of them worked for many years with the youth at the First Presbyterian Church in Pendleton. Their home has always been a place where people are welcomed with unconditional love, yummy food and a comfortable place to sit down and visit.

Mark and Gail live on the Umatilla River in the beautiful cabin they built after Mark retired from the EOCI in Pendleton. They have been blessed with two children who are both married, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

They have enjoyed the blessings of marriage for the past 50 years and weathered the storms through a horrible car accident, retirement, a house fire, rebuilding a home, the loss of loved ones and a flood this year at their home on the river.

When asked what kept them together all of these years, Gail answered, “God has always been the center of our life. We took our vows very seriously even though we were very young. We relied on each other and my family loved Mark very much. We had dated for four years and he was like part of our family. We never considered divorce as an option.”

Mark and Gail were sad not to celebrate their 50 years with all of their loved ones, but they enjoyed their special day at their cabin home on the Umatilla River. They are so grateful to God for the trials and the blessings they have had throughout their life together.