Barnes, a native of Clintonville, a suburban neighborhood in north-central Columbus, said Mueller was difficult to understand because of her thick Brooklyn, N.Y. accent. He joked that she was his “first foreign student” he met.
There’s nothing foreign about their relationship now.
Dr. Barnes, a longtime Middletown oral surgeon, and his wife recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary at Mount Pleasant Ohio Living in Monroe, where they have lived for 10 years.
According to the U.S Census Bureau, 0.1% of couples, or 1 in 1,000, make it to their platinum anniversary.
Divorce or separation never was an option for the Barneses.
“We had no problems,” said Neila, 91. “We never even thought about it.”
Her 93-year-old husband called marriage “a partnership that’s 50-50.”
Smart man, this Dr. Barnes.
They were married on Aug. 22, 1953 at All Souls Universalist Church in Brooklyn with a reception at the Park Lane Hotel in Manhattan.
The couple later moved to Middletown at the urging of Bruce’s older brother, Dr. Jack Barnes, a surgeon.
Dr. Bruce Barnes practiced as an oral surgeon from 1964 to 1987 when he retired.
Twenty years ago, for their 50th wedding anniversary, the couple celebrated with a party at the Manchester Inn that has since closed. So their marriage outlasted a Middletown landmark.
They raised three children: Scott (Cecilia) Barnes, Lynnette Barnes (Jeff) Hinch, and Bob (Karen) Barnes; and have six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Barnes Hinch called her parent’s relationship “a match made in heaven” and “the ultimate example of what a marriage should be.”
Later, she added, her parents showed their children “how to live a life of joy and commitment.”
They also were examples of the importance of community service.
He served on the Middletown Fine Arts Board and was president of the Butler County Dental Society.
She volunteered with the American Cancer Society, the Middletown Area Federation of Women’s Clubs where she chaired the 1978 Charity Ball, and served on the Atrium Foundation Gala committee since it began in 2007.
They were active members of the First Presbyterian Church of Middletown, serving as deacons, elders and trustees.
They were most recently honored by the Atrium Medical Center Foundation as Community Heroes for their more than 16 years as co-chairs of the Heritage Society, composed of supporters who include the foundation in their estate plans.
“It is very important,” Neila said when asked about community service. “It gave us a sense of fellowship with other Middletonians.”
Her husband added: “We shared common attitudes, interests, and goals for our town, to make it a better place to live for us all.”
While love can last forever, life can’t.
So do they ever think about being alone?
“Almost every day now, because of our ages,” he said. “We don’t like to think about it.”
“We know we are very blessed to be together after 70 years,” she said.
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