Fort Mill couple celebrates quirky anniversary

It sounds a bit like a riddle: A Fort Mill couple has been married 52 years, but their anniversary only comes around every four.

The Rev. William Duey and his wife Mary Ann, who goes by Ann, tied the knot on Leap Day in 1964 in her home church in Danville, Ill. This year officially marks their 13th anniversary. Ann said love sprouted quickly after just six weeks of dating.

“He came to visit me as a new member of the congregation,” she said before jokingly adding,“I always said I wasn't going to marry a pastor.”

Ann Duey said it was the way the Lutheran minister interacted with her sister's children that first caught her eye.

“He took to the kids, and I'm a family person, so I guess that's what attracted me to him ... and he wasn't bad looking,” she said.

They chose Leap Day because it was the only day during Lent when Rev. Duey wasn't preaching at his church. The courtship was shorter than most because Rev. Duey accepted a call into deaf ministry in Dallas, Texas, and wanted Ann to go with him.

The couple called Dallas home for six years before moving to calls at several different Lutheran churches across the Midwest. During that time they had four children.

The Dueys now call Fort Mill their home. They relocated in 2011 to be close to three of their 10 grandchildren, who live in Tega Cay.

The Rev. William Dewey will celebrate his 55th year in ministry this coming Father's Day. He is still active as a minister and serves as an Intentional Interim Pastor at Lake Wylie Lutheran Church. Ann said he wouldn't have it any other way.

“He loves his work, so he's still working,” she said.

As if a Leap Day anniversary isn't unique enough, the couple also has another noteworthy date to mark on their calendar together each year. They were born six years apart but share a birthday, on July 28.

After 52 years of marriage Ann said what made it stand the test of time is their faith.

“We worship together and we have our devotions together, and we make sure to put God first,” she said.

This story was originally published February 29, 2016 at 3:52 PM with the headline "Fort Mill couple celebrates quirky anniversary."