Jake and Loretta Kloke won the Loving Cup as the longest married coulple at the Old Settlers worship service. They have been married 63 years.

63 years wins Loving Cup for Klokes

by Mary Le Arneal
Published 6/25/25

Back in the days when every teenager did not have a phone or car at their disposal, there were rural youth clubs. These were clubs organized by the extension offices in each county as an educational and social event for young adults. Some held dances, usually square dances, on a monthly basis.

Loretta Ladenburger, 19, would go with her girlfriends to these square dances. It was at one near Fremont in the fall of 1960 that she met Jack Kloke, 22, at a square dance. Before the night was over, he had her phone number.

They talked on the phone a few times before the next rural youth dance. All this was going on in the fall. By the end of the second dance, they were a couple.

Loretta grew up in the Morse Bluff area one of eight children. She was teaching in a rural school after attending a summer course at Midland College.

Jack was born and raised in Cuming County, living north of Ames and in the West Point area. He was one of seven siblings.

They dated for a while when Loretta started expecting an engagement ring for Christmas. Jack knew this and surprised her with an engagement ring before Christmas.

They were married at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 12, 1962, a time and day not unusual in the ‘60s, at St. George’s Catholic Church in Morse Bluff. Morning wedding with brunch reception for those attending the wedding. Later there would be a larger reception for friends. Then everyone would go home to do chores and return in the evening for a dance. The Klokes had the Solid 8 Orchestra out of Omaha play for their dance.

Read the full story in the print or e-edition.

<<Back to the front page