Lou and Edith Bluefeld, who live in Boca West Country Club, will celebrate their 75th wedding anniversary on February 23, 2016. The couple met at the age of sixteen, and has been inseparable ever since.
Lou's family owned a Kosher catering business in Baltimore, Maryland and he worked in the business all the time as a teen. He told Edith that, if she wanted to see him, she would have to come work beside him in the business, so she did.
Their catering business, Bluefeld Caterers--The Orchid Touch, was responsible for koshering the White House kitchen during the announcement of the Peace Accords under President Jimmy Carter. This was the first time a Kosher meal had ever been served at the White House. They also catered all the food for Menachim Begin while he was in Washington, D.C. the week of the Peace Accords announcement.
They even catered President Nixon's Inaugural Ball and events for Congressmen and Senators. Many of the non-Jewish socialites in Baltimore society used Bluefeld Caterers for their affairs, even though the food was Kosher, because it was considered the best catering in the city at that time.
The Bluefelds have lived in Boca West Country Club for thirty years, full time. A number of their former customers live in the community, as well.
"We never took deposits. Our business was built on trust. And it was never just another wedding. We knew how much each event meant to our customers, " Lou Bluefeld said. Lou presented unsigned contract after unsigned contract to demonstrate how the business was built on a handshake.
Lou is 95, Edith is 94 and both of them are still as sharp as tacks, remembering their years together as if it were yesterday.
Lou and Edith's life together is a real love story. When Lou and Edith were 19, Lou's mother asked him what his intentions were. He told his mother he didn't have the money to get married and she told him not to worry about it. His mother put on a beautiful wedding for them, with her favorite flowers, orchids, everywhere. His mother died suddenly later that year.
During World War II, Edith traveled for three days by train across the country to say goodbye to Lou when he shipped out from California. And, when the war ended, Lou stood in line for nine hours to send a radiogram to Edith with details on when he would be coming home.
Both Edith and Lou have been active volunteers at Boca West Country Club. She still organizes luncheons for her building.
Lou said, "We're so thankful we're both well. More and more, health means everything and money is nothing."
When asked about the most important life lesson this vibrant 95 year old could pass on, Lou said that his father always told him that, "Name is everything" --your good name is what is most important.