JAMESVILLE — For Valentine’s Day this year, The Nottingham in Jamesville re-created the couples game show “The Newlywed Game” in its community room.
The Feb. 14 event saw as two married couples, three sets of Nottingham staff members, two resident friends, and a mother-daughter pairing were quizzed on just how well they know each other.
Over multiple rounds, one minute was put on the clock for every question, and the eight participating teams racked up points with every correct answer.
They were asked to guess to the best of their abilities their partner’s celebrity crush, least favorite chore, dream car, favorite pizza topping, go-to dipping sauce, which animal they would be if they could pick, who of the two takes longer to get ready, and where they would visit if they could pack up now and go anywhere in the world.
Hoping for their answers to match up, the players had to shield what they were writing before locking in what they came up with and holding up their cards for all in the crowd to see, as was the format of the television version that ran on ABC.
The answers included a Mercedes or convertible of any type for the car of one’s dreams, Nancy Sinatra and Jon Hamm when the topic turned to celebrity crushes, and Maryland, the Adirondacks or “anywhere that’s warm” for desired destinations.
After the points from the first two rounds were tallied by the day’s self-proclaimed “hostess with the mostess,” recreation specialist Jami Leone, the three highest-scoring teams advanced to the final round, where they were asked about their teammates’ ideal date, the most unusual meal they’d ever eaten, and the best gift they ever received.
For the last question, the married couple remaining was asked who first said “I love you,” while the friends were asked where and when they first met.
Leone, who does various games, exercises, and other daily activities with the independent Loretto living facility’s residents, said it was fun being emcee and stumping and surprising the competitors with the questions she thought up for the occasion.
She said she sees the residents and her Nottingham coworkers who participated all the time, but it was interesting and entertaining seeing how well everyone knew one another and learning more about their backstories and favorite things.
The winners Friday were Nottingham dining supervisor Gwen Oates and the facility’s director of admissions Marcy White, who have known each other for 24 years, going back to when they met as new mothers part-timing as Home Depot cashiers.
Since then they’ve grown to be more like sisters having gone through so much together, from good times to life’s struggles.
“Our friendship has grown so strong over the years,” White said. “The bond has become more and more like family.”
Married residents of the local retirement community Liz and Bill Older, who came in third and have been husband and wife for 63 years, said it’s official that they know each other pretty well by now.
The Olders met even before then through a mutual friend while going to school in Saratoga Springs, so they’ve actually known each other closer to 71 years—“and we still like each other!” they say jokingly.
Bill’s sister wound up becoming close friends with Liz, and she would save a seat for Liz next to Bill on their school bus. A couple of years passed where Bill and Liz didn’t see each other as much, but they reconnected at the joint going-away-to-college and birthday party Bill and his sister had.
“That kinda started things off,” Bill said. “It was fate.”
Bill later proposed to Liz by mail after writing a letter in a Wyoming motel and sending it off, then waiting by the mailbox every day for her response when he wasn’t working.
Since tying the knot, they’ve lived in seven different states together and had two children, a son and a daughter.
After six decades of marriage, Liz says she has no regrets and would do it all again if she could, even with all their moving around.
