Michael, Elaine Habel celebrate 60 years of marriage

Michael and Elaine Habel, lifelong residents of Belleville, have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
Michael Habel and Elaine Price first met in fourth grade, but became high school sweethearts in 12th grade at Belleville High School, both graduating in 1955. In their teen years, Elaine sold records out of her father’s appliance store in downtown Belleville and picked strawberries for five cents per quart in the summer. Mike washed cars at a Belleville gas station for $1 per car. Mike, his younger brother Jim, and their father Mike helped build the first St. Anthony’s Catholic Church on W. Columbia Avenue in Belleville which is now known as the Father Folta building.
Mike and Elaine were married Aug. 8, 1959 at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church and had three children who also all graduated from BHS. They have six grandchildren and are expecting their first great-grandchild in October.
Mike is retired from the auto industry where he served first as a journeyman machine repairman and then as a process engineer/supervisor after obtaining a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan. Elaine earned her bachelor’s degree and teaching certificate from Eastern Michigan University. She taught in the Lincoln school district in the early years, but when her children were born she retired from teaching to raise a family.
After her children were grown and out on their own, she returned to the work force again with Lincoln schools to finish out her career in accounts payable/book keeping.
They have served the community in many ways through volunteer work at St. Anthony’s and in helping with the Belleville Strawberry Festival. Elaine also volunteered as the Edgemont Elementary School librarian for 10 years, room mother for numerous elementary classrooms and volunteered at St. Joe’s Hospital in Ann Arbor. She also spent many, many evenings and weekends as the scorekeeper for her children’s Little League/Babe Ruth baseball and softball games.
They continue to enjoy many activities such as boating, snowmobiling, card club, dance classes, golfing, and lending their skills and expertise to their children and grandchildren on a wide variety of projects.
The Habels celebrated their 60th anniversary on Aug. 10 with about 50 family and friends at a luncheon at Tri-County Sportsman’s League in Saline. Loved ones traveled from all parts of Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, Florida and California.
The entire wedding party from 60 years ago was in attendance except for Mike’s brother, Jim, who recently passed away.