Former Palmer couple celebrates 60 years

Bernard and Daisy Swoboda celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Dec. 17, 2007.

Bernard discovered his beautiful bride during his military service in Pernambuco, Brazil. Throughout their courtship, a third party had to be present at all times to ensure proper conduct by the suitor. Bernard returned to Palmer after World War II as Daisy decided to keep her handsome Alaskan after a year of correspondence. Thus began Daisy’s adventure, relocating from the tropical heat to the frozen north.

Bernard is the son of a replacement colonist sent to Palmer during the 1936 Matanuska Valley colonization project.

The bride and groom were married by mail proxy in order for the bride to leave her home country. Daisy arrived in Anchorage on Dec. 11, 1947 with a church wedding ceremony held six days later.

Bernard and Daisy called Palmer home for the next 44 years, where they raised a family until moving to Anchorage in 1992.