If you’re anything like me, a feel-good story is exactly what you need right now — especially after the tragedy in New Orleans that started off the year. So when I heard how Aron and Jeanne Katzman’s family helped them celebrate their 65th anniversary late last month, I couldn’t resist sharing it.
After all, who doesn’t love an uplifting love story, one that makes you believe in romance all over again? (And yes, I’m a sucker for those; the Hallmark Channel is practically a pre-set on my remote.)
The couple, both 87, met in the ninth grade after Jeanne’s family moved from Clayton to University City, where she attended Hanley Junior High. Aron, a student there, became her math tutor.
“He was good at math, and that was my weakest subject, so we were a good fit,” said Jeanne, a retired elementary school teacher. “He would try to explain the concept behind the math problems, and I nodded like I understood them.”
Aron said the two had met years earlier at a temple dance, but he didn’t remember much about that except for noticing Jeanne.
“When she came to U. City, we struck up a relationship,” Aron said. “We weren’t boyfriend or girlfriend. We liked each other and were friends. She went on to become vice president of the (high) school and was voted football queen. She asked me to escort her to the dance. By senior year, we were dating.”
After high school, Aron left St. Louis to attend the University of Colorado, and Jeanne went to Washington University to study education. After his freshman year, Aron transferred to St. Louis University, where his father was a professor, though according to Katzman family lore, the real reason was because he missed Jeanne.
“I think about that often, and I do think Jeanne played a major role in my coming back to St. Louis,” Aron said. “I missed her so much. That started a real relationship going.”
The couple married Dec. 20, 1959. They had three children. Those children have since had children (for a total of eight grandchildren) and some of those children have had children (two great-grandchildren).
Aron, a serial entrepreneur, was the idea man behind the Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy. He used his financial acumen to grow a half-dozen companies and restaurants including Roman Co. (costume jewelry), Decorating Den, Richard’s Ribs, Arch City Diner and Bandera’s Bar-B-Q restaurants.
Jeanne stopped teaching to raise her children but went back when her youngest started school. She taught in the Ritenour School District and at New City School and, many years ago, at the now-shuttered Pegnita School in Kirkwood. She also taught religious school at Congregation Shaare Emeth, as did her mother-in-law, Lil Katzman.
That Jeanne and Aron not only adored their own parents but also each other’s perhaps explains the root of their devotion to family. Always, at the center of it all, is family.
“The enjoyment we had and still have with our children, grandchildren and now great-grandchildren — it’s everything,” Aron said. “No marriage is a bed of roses, but we were able to work our way through and thank God we have.”
Daughter-in-law Diane Katzman recalled numerous trips, sometimes as many as five a year, on which Jeanne and Aron would take their children, their spouses and grandchildren.
“There would always be a cruise right after school ended so that all the kids could go,” she said. “They loved to spoil us with new adventures.”
As empty nesters, and most certainly in retirement, the couple traveled the world together — North America, Europe, Australia, South America and more. Thankfully, Aron said, their health is such that they can live independently and get around pretty easily. Aron still drives.
On Saturday night, Dec. 21, 2024 — almost 65 years to the day — Shaare Emeth Rabbi Emeritus Jeffrey Stiffman “remarried” Jeanne and Aron at a ceremony at Westwood Country Club attended by their family and the rabbi’s wife, Arlene Stiffman. (The Stiffmans, by the way, will celebrate their 65th anniversary in June.)
Granddaughter Julia Katzman played Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” on her iPhone as sons David and Andy Katzman walked their mother down the aisle. Then it was daughter Laurie Katzman Wielansky’s turn to escort her father. Jeanne wore a wrist corsage fashioned from flowers in white and pastel colors, while Aron donned a white rose boutonniere.
The extended family enjoyed a meal at Westwood around one large table featuring Katzman favorite dishes including Beanie Weenie Casserole and Sloppy Joes. The couple’s original wedding cake topper was used for a double-decker cake made out of ice cream and Gold Brick sundae topping.
Toasts and a robust game of family Bingo followed. The Bingo squares contained events, places, people and sayings inspired by Aron and Jeanne. The kids and grandchildren recalled the meanings out loud as they placed Hershey’s kisses on the squares. Prizes were awarded to the winners. Party favors included coffee mugs with a photo of the bride and groom from 65 years ago.
I asked Jeanne and Aron what they think has contributed to the longevity of their marriage. They mentioned open communication, honesty, a willingness to compromise, mutual respect, being able to laugh together through the good and the bad, and shared values and beliefs.
“Being able to understand and accept our own mistakes and your spouse’s, because we all make them,” Jeanne added.
Aron drilled down to the personal:
“She’s a wonderful woman, the whole package. Anyone who comes in contact with her falls in love with her.”
But perhaps, more than anything else, it is the love of their family that serves as the connective tissue. As Katzman Wielansky noted, she and her siblings all stayed in St. Louis largely because of the closeness to their parents and grandparents, as did some of the grandchildren. And the ones who didn’t are sure to be present at any-and-all family celebrations, subject to the occasional flight cancellation.
“For 65 years, my parents always put their family first,” David Katzman said. “We all did things together. Home-cooked meals, the Muny, themed gatherings and family trips. That hasn’t changed in 65 years. We still have weekly family dinners, travel together, and celebrate every birthday and milestone as a family.”
Granddaughter Julia Katzman added: “My grandparents’ love for one another is reflected in the way they’ve built and nurtured our family. The closeness we share as a family is a direct result of the foundation they’ve created, and imparted, on all of us.”
Aron and Jeanne Katzman’s 65 years together have created more than just a beautiful love story — they’ve built a legacy of family. Their deep connection has set the tone for how their children and grandchildren live, staying close, celebrating milestones and truly cherishing time together.
Whether it’s weekly dinners or family trips, the bond they’ve nurtured is one that continues to grow, and their love will live on through the generations they’ve united.
