With so many marriages ending in divorce, it seems that true love is something talked about only in books. Fifty years of marriage seems impossible - unless it's a compilation of years added up between numerous spouses.

Yet some couples succeed. What is the secret to having a lasting marriage?

"Having a sense of humor is very important," said Fran Walsh, 70, of Slippery Rock. "I'm always telling (my husband Ed) that one of the things I love about him is that he entertains me."

As a newlywed 50 years ago when she was 20, Fran didn't realize just how funny the man she married was. It wasn't until she joined him in Japan shortly after their wedding that she discovered how much his upbeat outlook made the transition from single life to married life less stressful.

"She was a redhead with a terrible temper," Ed said.

"I had a bad one," Fran agreed.

She recalled that they had many an argument because of her temperament. "A lot of times he'd diffuse an argument into humor," she said. "He'd laugh at me."

"A sense of humor is rooted in the ability to laugh at oneself," she said.

She remembered how he'd try to get her to lighten up when she'd be mad at losing to him in a card game. "He'd go 'hoo hoo hoo,' " she said, "and I'd be so angry. I couldn't laugh at myself. I didn't take teasing well."

Eventually, because she realized that Ed really loved her, and because she was a whole country and an ocean away from her parents and couldn't run home to them every time she and her new spouse disagreed, Fran learned to let go.

"I finally got more relaxed as time went on," she said.

Fran and Ed Walsh were married more than 50 years ago, on Dec. 30, 1954.

They, along with Grace and Clifford Younkins, who married on Nov. 12, 1954, recently agreed to share some insight into how they've sustained their marriages for half a century.The Younkins said humor is a big part of their relationship, too. They love to kid around with each other, though on a serious note, 76-year-old Clifford said, "You gotta work at it."Grace, 72, agreed. "A lot of young kids don't work at it," she said. "We compromise. Sometimes we go with what he wants and sometimes we go with what I want."Clifford smirked and added that he and his friend, Jack, clown around about how compromising with a wife works: They say that it's doing what you're told!"I tell (Cliff) 'why argue when you know I'm right?' " Grace kidded.When asked what things need to be on the list of "musts" to make a marriage last, both couples stressed that being considerate and loving toward each other is like saving for a rainy day. When the stormy weather eventually comes, there's a solid foundation of caring and respect already in place."Love each other," Grace Younkins said. "(Don't) get angry at the stupid stuff.""One thing we do," Fran Walsh said, "we express our love for each other. We pass each other in the hallway and Ed will say, 'I love you.'"Many times a day," she added.

"Be considerate of each other," she continued. "We do put each other first. We always did! People in cartoons are mean to each other. Ed to this day still opens a door, pulls out my chair, or holds my coat."Ed used a sports comparison."I think you also have to feel (like) there's another game coming up," he said.Likening the consideration and respect he shows toward his wife to good sportsmanship, he said that every day is another chance to make the marriage better, just as athletes start each event with a clean slate, with the opportunity to better their stats, to win another game, or to lose a game graciously and learn from the loss. The mindset going in is a determining factor for success."(You need) grounding in morality and self-control," he explained. "There's nothing wrong with losing. Tomorrow's another day, another game."Investing time and energy in each other, as well as in the relationship, is one of the best ways to keep the marriage flame burning, these couples said.

The Walshes and the Younkins keep their spark alive by continuing to date-each other of course. After 50 years, dating is still fun."We do things together," Grace Younkins said. "We go to DuBois twice a month for round dancing. We go square dancing every Monday night at the Atrium."Recently they took a trip to Alaska to visit former military friends.The Walshes also dance. They take classes through the Institute for Learning in Retirement, a program offered through Slippery Rock University to help keep seniors active. They go out to eat, and they even cook together. Recently they baked heart-shaped cookies for their granddaughters, a tradition they started years ago."I bake them, Ed puts the sugary stuff on top. He packs them all, (and) we send them to Hong Kong and Michigan," Fran said.They also have season tickets to the live theater in Pittsburgh. That is probably Fran's favorite date. "Because we go to matinees, we have dinner there and stay at a hotel," she said. "They're very romantic evenings."She admits that she's more in love with her husband every day."We've gotten analytical," she said, "(and we figure that we) love each other more now than when we got married.""Yeah," Ed said. "She is my best friend."