It may seem like a simple love story, but nonetheless, Ken and Kristy Eliason’s story is one that has lasted for nearly 40 years.  After building a life filled with five sons, welcoming five daughters-in-law, chasing dreams on and off their cattle ranch, and enjoying the crowning glory of grandparenthood, that love story has proven to pass the test of life.  In this day and age, maybe such a love story isn’t so simple after all.

Ken and Kristy first met at an adult church singles activity near Logan, Utah.  At the time, Ken, finished with his mission and college experience, lived in Holbrook working on his family ranch while Kristy lived in Bothwell, Utah and had just finished her junior year of high school.  At seventeen, Kristy really wasn’t old enough to attend the singles activities, but went anyway to tag along with her older sister.  It was at the dance near Beaver Dam where the Idaho cowboy first caught her eye.  

After seeing each other at just a few activities, Ken plucked up the courage to ask Kristy to join him for a first date.  Not having Kristy’s number, he worked through friends to learn her sister’s number to finally get a hold of her.  That first date must have gone well because after that day the two began dating, spending nearly every weekend together.

Kristy tells the story that after months of dating, she was asked to prom by someone that wasn’t Ken.  Since they had never talked about dating exclusively, Kristy accepted the invitation, informing Ken that she would be busy on prom night.  There must have been something about Kristy going out with another man that spurred Ken into action to move things along, because it wasn’t long before he pushed their relationship to the next stage.

Not long after her 18th birthday and just weeks before graduating high school, Ken surprisingly proposed to Kristy.  After hearing the story so many times, their children recall, “Mom said dad’s proposal was kind of an accident.  They were sitting in the old red 6.2 in front of mom’s house when all of the sudden he said something like ‘Well, I guess, do you want to get married?’”  Ken explains that the proposal had been on his mind and really hadn’t intended to ask her that night but the conversation had turned that way so he just threw caution to the wind and asked.

And nearly as quickly as he had asked her to marry him, he tagged on, “And we will live in Holbrook, of course.”  Not a question, but a direct and simple statement.  Kristy laughs when she thinks back, how he put it all out there, his loving ultimatum of a proposal.

While Kristy happily accepted his offer of marriage and the condition of living on the family ranch, there was one important step that the pair felt had to be done right away, and that was for Ken to ask Jim Anderson, Kristy’s father, for his blessing.  Looking back, Kristy says she doesn’t remember ever seeing Ken so nervous.  The couple had always enjoyed Ken and thought that he was a good match for their daughter, but there was something about the official ask that left Ken anxious.  

No parent can deny that a proposal so young, even before graduating high school, to a man nearly six years older than their daughter, with the intentions to live in the middle of nowhere, with a livelihood that was physically demanding and historically offered little pay might cause some concern.  But not for Kristy’s parents.  Donna, Kristy’s mother shared, “I didn’t really have an opinion about her getting married so young because, honestly, I was 18 myself when we got married and Jim is several years older than me.  I couldn’t very well be upset with her doing the exact thing I had done.”

As most of her classmates were making plans for college and careers, Kristy began planning her wedding and had no regrets about the different path she was taking.  A star student, Kristy had been offered a full ride scholarship to Utah State University, something she turned down without reservation and without ever telling Ken until after they were married.  With a sly grin on his face, her youngest son, Eric, has said, “We still don’t like her turning down the scholarship.  None of us could have ever afforded to go to USU.” 

They quickly went to work fixing up Ken’s Grandpa Chester’s old home that was sitting empty on the ranch.  With their fall wedding coming up quickly, the little house would soon enough become the home of the new Eliason family.

On the morning of September 13, 1984, Ken woke up early, put on his best suit, and began the hour drive south to pick up Kristy to take her to the Logan temple.  There they were sealed for time and all eternity with close friends and family there to join in their happy celebration.  At the conclusion of the festivities, the young couple took off on a honeymoon tour of Yellowstone Park, Jackson Hole and Island Park before settling into married life on the ranch.

Ken and Kristy were excited for the prospect of beginning their family, something that was a part of both of their dreams. Their first son, Brayden was born December 21, 1985.  Kristy said his delivery sure brought a bright spot to the shortest day of the year.  Just over two years later, their second son, Clayton, was born, followed by Nathan and then Quinn.  Kristy convinced Ken that there was one last baby waiting to come to their family and in October of 1996, Eric was born.

With five strapping young boys, Ken and Kristy were often asked if they were sad they never had a daughter.  Kristy has always answered, “I love being a mom to these boys!”  And nothing could be more true.  Whether it was celebrating their first bunny hunt, laughing when they practiced roping by tying the dog up, having to take off bedroom doors as a form of discipline, teaching them to write their name on the sidewalk with chalk, or spending time in the kitchen teaching them to bake zucchini bread, family life was happy for Ken and Kristy.

While it was always happy, it wasn’t always easy.  With five busy, active boys, they had their fair share of hardship as well.  Nowadays, when the boys sit around the table, they often recount who had the most surgeries, the most stitches or the most days spent in the hospital.  From achilles tendon surgeries to broken arms to swallowed nails to tonsils taken out to stitches after going through the barbed wire fence, the Eliason family may as well as well have their own hospital room dedicated to them.

The family loved finding adventure, whether it was through daily life on the ranch or when they packed up the camping trailer to head to the mountains.  The family enjoyed summer camping trips, a visit to Disneyland and a trip across the midwest to visit Ken’s parents, Don and Carol Eliason, as they served as missionaries in historic Nauvoo.

Spending time together as a family and making memories has always been a priority for Ken and Kristy, something that has always kept them close together.  As the boys graduated and left home, their travel adventures are still a fun and exciting part of their year.  The couple has traveled across the country in their “pleasure van” affectionately named ‘Blue Moo’.  They have enjoyed staying in a Wigwam as they explored desert life and never felt the need to have kids along to enjoy Disney World.

Through all the years, Ken and Kristy have been nothing if not committed to each other.  They have served together and apart in various responsibilities in their community and local church, both helping the other to give their very best.  As one has had a new dream or idea, the other has been there to help make it happen.  Kristy has spent countless hours in the grandstands watching Ken at his various roping events.  When Ken was ready to run for County Commissioner, Kristy never wavered in her support.  As Kristy became interested in expanding her catering business to include food trucks, Ken was ready and willing to hook up the truck.  It might not have been his thing, but supporting his wife was definitely was his thing.

 While they may be celebrating 39 years of marriage this year, their love story is still unfolding.  Each chapter, filled with challenges, excitement, sadness, love and thrilling adventures, albeit maybe with a few more naps and doctor visits as they grow older.  Their commitment and dedication to building a life together is as timeless as any fairytale.  Because they really have lived, happily ever after.