Jim & Angie Zenisek

Jim is from South Euclid; Angie is from Lyndhurst. They met on a blind date in 1959 when Angie was 16 and Jim was 19 years old.

A friend of Jim’s, who was dating Angie’s friend and later married her, introduced them.

They dated for three years and one day Jim tied a ring to a stuffed animal racoon’s paw and Angie said yes! They were engaged for a year and were married in 1961. Angie was 19 and Jim was 21.

They had a large Italian wedding on September 9, 1961, at St. Gregory’s Church in South Euclid. Their reception was held at the Collinwood Slovenian Home without air conditioning on a 90-degree day. They honeymooned in the Pocono mountains for a week then spent some time in Niagara Falls.

They first lived in an apartment in Euclid, then moved to a double home near Nela Park before moving to another duplex in East Cleveland. Their two daughters were ready to begin school so they were ready to move. Jim saw an ad for a home that was built by a builder for a small down payment. The builder was Bart Wolstein. Jim and Angie lived in that home for 20 years until 1987. At that time, Jim was traveling for business and did not want the responsibility of a home and their kids had moved out. They looked at several places but always came back to Walden. They made the move to Walden in 1987 where they still live in the same condo.

Jim and Angie joined Club Walden, Jim became an avid golfer, and they both did a lot of social things, met a lot of great people, and have had a lot of good times. Jim continues to play golf with the seniors twice a week. Angie was never interested in golf and is more than happy when Jim goes to play.

Their daughter Susan is retired from dentistry and lives in Strongsville. Their daughter Janet, who was born on their second anniversary, used to own a dance studio in Twinsburg. Jim and Angie have two grandsons, Andrew and Tyler; one granddaughter, Hannah; and one great-granddaughter, Erie Louella (LuLu).

The Zeniseks’ secret to a successful marriage is give-and-take, and traveling together. They used to travel a lot to their favorite places: the Caribbean, Panama Canal and Hilton Head.