It's a well-known statistic that more marriages end in divorce nowadays than stay intact. That's not what we'd like to focus on during Valentine's Day season here on Northborough Patch.

We sat down recently with three couples who have been married a long time about how they got together, what makes them tick, and most importantly, what makes it last.

Let's meet our couples:

Bev and Joe McCaffrey have been married for 53 years. They met through Joe's sister when she was 19, and Joe was 22. Just returning from a two-year service to the U.S. Army, Bev caught Joe's eye when she went to Joe's sister Ruth's house for lunch one day. They were married in 1955, and after living for short spells in Maynard and North Concord, they settled in Northborough in 1961. A lifelong Air Force Reserves and National Guard member, Joe retired at age 55. The couple has toured the country three times in their motor home, and spend a lot of time with their five kids and their families.

Theresa and Stan Elbe just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this past December. After growing up in an orphanage in New York, Theresa came to live in Northborough in 1948. She met Stan while visiting friends up the street, and they "just started doing things together." They lived in an apartment just below the White Cliffs before building a home on some land given to them by Stan's father. The Elbes have two sons and a daughter, and of course their beloved pets.

Claire and Parker Swan met in North Conway at an Inn. Both were from the Boston area, but worked there during the summer, Claire as a waitress and Parker as a handyman and dishwasher. When Claire first took a tour of the place she would work, she spotted the backside of Parker, who was standing in a tub in one of the rooms making a repair.

"He had curly hair and wore jeans," said Claire, who was introduced to Parker. The two were dating by the end of the summer and spent five years of that before hitching in 1955, when they moved into their newly-built home in Northborough after their honeymoon. "He asked me to marry him in a Chinese restaurant on my birthday," said Claire. "Of course I said 'yes' right away."

In 1960, the couple settled in to the home they have still. They had kids, and traveled the world over, displaying pieces of their trips throughout their home. Parker spent many years performing as a magician for events around the country. A hobby of his, he brought Claire into the act, too. Yes, Claire became the lady who was often "cut in half." Their daughter has picked up on the hobby and now performs in the Berkshires.

Long active in town, Parker was the Town Moderator for 33 years, both are active in the Historical Society, and Claire helped found the Friends of the Northborough Free Library. 

Sit back, watch, and learn a few things while you're at it.