Chuck Grassley, the beloved 90-year-old senator from Iowa, recently achieved some major milestones.
Yesterday, he completed his 44th year in a row of hosting meetings with Iowans in each one of the state’s 99 counties. He celebrated this monumental victory with a strawberry malt from Dairy Queen (which was soon followed by a Reese’s blizzard). Senator Grassley’s earnest love of Midwestern delicacies — particularly dairy- and corn-based products — is well-documented on his X account.
But even more impressive than his dedication to his constituency is his long devotion to his wife, Barbara.
Today marks their 70th wedding anniversary.
Chuck Grassley and Barbara Speicher wed in rural Iowa on August 22, 1954. The site of their nuptials, the Little Brown Church in the Vale, inspired the song “The Church in the Wildwood.” The Carter Family, and later June Carter Cash, popularized the song through various recordings.
After getting married, Barbara put aside her college career at the University of Northern Iowa to raise their five children. Once the kids were grown, she returned to school, receiving her degree in accounting from UNI in 1983. In her role as a public figure, Barbara has been a tireless advocate for breast-cancer awareness. As a survivor herself — she was first diagnosed nearly 40 years ago — Barbara encourages preventative screenings. Since 2008, Senator and Mrs. Grassley have co-chaired a booth at the Iowa State Fair that provides cancer education and screening to Iowans.
“Well, you know, it never hurts to encourage your neighbor, either. Say to them, you’re having your check up and ask, ‘When is yours?’” Barbara told the Prevent Cancer foundation. “Just a little nudge here and there . . . Just keep on getting checked!”
The Grassleys, who have many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, are a beacon of the virtue of stability. This forgotten virtue — present in the vows of the Benedictine order — is the act of remaining rooted where you are called. The Grassleys have tended to their own, both literally and figuratively. Senator Grassley is one of only two active farmers in the U.S. Senate. He has grown corn and soybeans since he was a boy; one of his sons, Robin, now assists with managing the family farm.
The Grassleys have also cultivated stability on the Hill. Across Senator Grassley’s 43 years of service — the longest term of any Republican senator in history — 20 marriages have emerged from his office. He proudly told the Washington Post that only one marriage has since resulted in divorce. With a 5 percent divorce rate, the Grassley office is doing far better than the rest of the country, where approximately one out of two marriages ends in divorce. I’d say the example set by the senator and his wife must have something to do with it.
Congratulations to Chuck and Barbara Grassley, whose own 70-year marriage is a testimony to the institution.