“It was a great honor, and it’s one that I know that anyone there could be honored (with) because they’re all such special people. When you look deep into people’s lives, even those who aren’t able to express themselves, there are such (great) stories there,” Mary said. “They’re all special people, and it’s an honor to represent them. And Glenwood Place goes all out to make people feel special.”

The title is especially meaningful for Ron, a longtime farmer in the western part of the county, as his parents, Earl and Helen, received the same honor back in 2010 about a month before his father, a farmer and inventor established a well-known trailer manufacturing company, passed away at the age of 95. Helen lived at Glenwood Place until her death in January of 2016 at 99.

“My dad didn’t always express himself too forwardly, and my mom was kind of shy too. But anyway, I knew they both thought it was alright,” Ron said.

The couple has lived in a townhouse owned by the senior living facility since last March, and Ron said special events like the coronation banquet dinner held last Thursday — which included live entertainment from the Marshalltown Men’s Chorus and the MHS string orchestra — are part of the reason they’re thankful to call Glenwood home.

Helen and Earl Goecke were chosen as royalty back in 2010.

“It’s wonderful. We couldn’t expect any better. In fact, this facility, where we live right here in this townhome, is as close to where we lived on the farm as it could be,” he said.

In light of the Valentine’s Day holiday, the couple, who have been married 61 years and now have three children, eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren, reflected on their own love story.

Mary grew up in southern Jasper County, and Ron’s family farm was located in rural western Marshall County “in the middle of nowhere” between Marshalltown, Albion, Clemons and State Center and graduated from high school in Lamoille. On a winter night in January of 1963, Mary made the trip up to Marshalltown from Grinnell with some coworkers to the old Forest Park Ballroom, located at the current site of the Karl Auto Group facility on North 3rd Avenue. It was the first and only time she ever set foot in the establishment.

Ron, an “old bachelor” at 26, decided he and a few friends were going to head there and see if they could meet some girls, in his words. The two hit it off, and they were engaged four months later. By September of 1963, they were married.

Over six decades later, they’re proud to be wearing their respective crowns, and the leaders and staff at Glenwood Place are equally proud to call the Goeckes residents.

“It’s hard to believe our community has been established in Marshalltown long enough to see the second generation of seniors come through our door. The Goeckes aren’t the only ones. We have sisters who live here now, and their folks lived here shortly after opening in 2001,” Community Relations Coordinator Brooke Davis said. “Our goal is always to have families feel at home, even after their time here has passed.”