Couple weds at Sunny Hill Nursing Home
From Submitted Reports December 14, 2012 3:20PM
Patrick Haugen and Margaret Lazarz stand by the Christmas tree in the dining room at Sunny Hill Nursing Home of Will County prior to their wedding ceremony Dec. 12. | photo courtesy of Will County Executive Larry Walsh’s office.
Updated: January 17, 2013 6:29AM
Margaret Lazarz and Patrick Haugen looked out over a sea of smiling faces as they wed Wednesday at Sunny Hill Nursing Home of Will County.
The smiles were familiar to the bride, a member of the Peace Lutheran Church ladies ensemble, who has volunteered at the county-owned nursing home the past three years. The group had performed there just days prior.
It is a second marriage for both Lazarz, 50, and Haugen, 56, both of whom were widowed. With five adult children and three grandchildren between them spread across Illinois, Minnesota, Mississippi and North Carolina, it was hard to plan a traditional church wedding they all could attend.
So they talked about eloping in June. But Lazarz had two conditions: she didn’t want to get married at a courthouse and she wanted her minister, the Rev. Dave Hedlin, to perform the ceremony. Haugen had another thought.
“I hate to pass up the opportunity to get married on 12-12-12,” he told her. Dec. 12 was the last consecutive date series of the century.
“I said, ‘How about we get married (at Sunny Hill)?’ and he said ‘Sure.’”
Sunny Hill Administrator Karen Sorbero was happy to oblige. “This is truly a great day, and we thank Margaret and Patrick for sharing their day with the residents of Sunny Hill.”
The pair met on Christian Mingle, a dating website. She lives in New Lenox and he in Aurora.
