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Sixty Years Of Marriage With Larry And Elisse Gebo

photo by provided Larry & Elisse Gebo-60 Years strong!

photo by provided The top of "the Hill"

Tuesday June 27, 2017

By Cookie Steponaitis

Driving up the long road to the Gebo farm in Ferrisburgh there is a vista that stops visitors because of its sheer beauty. Green and yellow grasses dance in the wind in over the hundred acres that lay front and center. Houses holding different generations of the family dot the picturesque countryside and there is a feeling of layers of tradition, both in practice by family and the use of the land. All is serene and quiet until with a smile and a bit of speed Elisse Gebo cruises by on her faithful John Deere lawn tractor. With over four acres of lawn to mow and summer sun a fleeting gift, Elisse is on a mission. There is work on the farm to do before sundown.
    Elisse Hallock and Larry Gebo were both born in 1938 and married in 1957after meeting in high school. While Larry was allowed to attend the public dances at the New Haven Grange, Elisse’s parents would not let their young daughter go to such events. Seeing each other only at school, one girlfriend commented to Elisse that Larry was quite handsome. Fourteen-year-old Elisse quipped, “I guess so, but I really don’t think so.” Fate would have other plans and the pair would become a couple during their junior and senior years and marry in the summer following graduation. July 1st is a milestone at the Gebo farm when the couple celebrates their 60th anniversary with family that includes three children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
    Larry and Elisse were both people who valued the land and grew up learning how to work it. “My father was of the belief that women couldn’t run machinery and shouldn’t have to work in the barn. I made the mistake of going out to the barn and learning how to milk. Let’s just say there was never a shortage of work after that.” In fact, with Larry leaving to go to training for the U.S. Army Reserves just months after their marriage, Elisse often was in the barn milking or running equipment along with other family members. Larry came to love the farm at an early age and began the development of his own herd while he was just eleven. Working on a cattle truck and spending time at a lot of local farms, Larry fell in love with six Jersey cows owned by Elwin Gilson. Larry approached both his father and Mr. Gilson about the purchase of the cows, his love of farm life and a work ethic and commitment to the land that was visible even then. Mr. Gilson let the young boy buy the cows on time and unknowingly began Larry Gebo’s first herd.
    Certain tenants of life hold true on the Gebo farm. First is always family, second is that the most important conversations happen at the dining room table and fourth family traditions and gatherings are timeless. There is always a pot of coffee brewing at the Gebo farm just like in Larry’s parent’s and grandparent’s time. While the dairy cows left the farm in the late 1980’s, the presence of beef cattle in the care of generation three of Gebos on the land demonstrates that while sixty years have passed, the recipe for living and working on farm has not been altered.
    “In 1989 we paid off the mortgage on the farm and were the first Gebo’s to own it outright,” shared Elisse. “We had never been on any vacation since our two-day honeymoon in 1957 and we had always wanted to go to Disneyland in Florida. We had planned out the trip and saved up for a special package including airfare, lodging and tickets. The second night we were in Florida we got the call that our house had burned. We were blessed no one was hurt.” Upon returning to a shell of a home the couple went quickly to work and in less than five months the family was celebrating Thanksgiving in the new house. “The outside was up at least,” grinned Elisse. “I felt it was really important to have our family gathering and to have both sets of grandparents there.” There is always room for one more at the Gebo table and over the years the Gebos have raised and cared for not only their own children but several more in the process. With land, animals and a never ceasing series of projects and chores all three Gebo children always had friends over and mixed work and fun while learning the lessons of life on the farm.
    “I can’t even imagine living in the city,” Elisse sighed. The Gebo farm is still in full swing with the farm producing three to four thousand square bales of hay a year and even more round bales. Larry is an avid hunter and was at the family hunting camp in Lowell at the time of this interview. The camp was started in 2002 with no power or water and the property has taken shape over the past decade and a half. Larry hunts most seasons and recently bagged two prize turkeys on the farm and shares his passion for hunting with several of the family including his grandchildren.
    Four generations will gather on July 1st for the 60th celebration at the farm which is the center of the Gebo family. A tent will house all visitors, the barbeque will of course be spectacular and Larry and Elisse will be where their journey continues to this day to celebrate family and what Elisse calls, “Working on it.” The couple believes that a good marriage is a partnership and communication is supremely important. Another skill that helps the couple count decades of marriage is really listening. “Greetings from the hill,” remarked daughter Lissa recently on a Facebook post showcasing one of the famed views of the valley. “You think I have time for a little more lawn mowing?” queries Elisse as the interview draws to a close. “Still got some things to do.”

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