As Valentine’s Day comes around the corner, Lincoln and Virginia Kaiser look back on the time of their wedding 60 years ago as something extraordinary.

The date was Jan. 13, 1950. An epic blizzard had struck the Seattle area, bringing 21.4 inches of snow, in what is considered one of the worst storms in the region’s history. Seattle had 6-foot snow drifts and winds gusts up to 40 miles per hour, with temperatures in the low teens.

“Some people wanted us to call it off,” Virginia said. “But there was not enough time, so we decided if they [the guests] come, they come.”

The next day, when it was time for the wedding, the snow had moved out of Washington, but the cold had deepened. Unfortunately, Kirkland Congregational Church was undergoing a substantial remodel and there was no heat in the building. Virginia’s corsage and flowers were frozen and most of the invited guests could not get there, including Link’s brother who was supposed to be the best man. Instead, a colleague of Lincoln’s stood in for him.

Their 60th anniversary, by contrast, was during one of the warmest months on record last month.

Lincoln said what holds their marriage together is very simplistic.

“I think it’s because we think alike,” said Lincoln, who family and friends refer to as “Link.” “We think together, we work together and we play together … We have discussions rather than arguments.”

The Kaisers both moved to Kirkland in 1939 (She moved to Kirkland because of her parents who were from Seattle. He moved from Sundance, Wyo. to be near relatives in Carnation). Virginia graduated from Lake Washington High School and Link used to work in the Kirkland shipyards.

The couple was introduced through some neighbors who had set them up on a blind date in the summer of 1949.

“She had been trying to set Link up and I had been on one blind date before and I wouldn’t go!” said Virginia. “So finally, just to get rid of her –Ann was very persuasive – we did go. I thought he was a really nice guy. I have no regrets at all.”

Military duties intervened in the early years of their marriage. Lincoln, who had been a Navy pilot during World War II, was called up again to fight in Korea. During that time he was a part of Patrol Squadron 892, the first Navy Reserve squadron called up by Presidential Order to serve.

Lincoln became the Kirkland Postmaster in 1962, and held that position for more than 20 years until retirement. (He boasts that he got the job because he was a war veteran who got a higher score on the exam, kicking out the current postmaster, who was well received). He was also an independent builder in the city. Virginia had worked for Boeing Co. before she met Lincoln.

With the exception of some brief stints out of the state, the Kaisers three children (Kathleen, Kristine and Steven) were raised in the Seattle area. Their daughter, now Kathleen Quickstad, of Sammamish, has memories of camping and fishing with cousins on the Washington coast during the summers.

“Dad is really skilled at doing things himself,” Quickstad said. “So he’s had a lot of skills that he has taught (my husband and I). We’ve always tried to be environmentally friendly and remember his rule.”

In retirement, the Kaisers, who reside in their home on 124th Avenue Northeast that Lincoln built, have been very active. They help the community, spend time with family and travel (they have been to all 50 states except Michigan).

Lincoln is also the author of three books. Virginia has a strong interest in genealogy, sitting on the board of the Mayflower Society and the Daughters of the American Revolution.