Free
Living Life After 50
St. Joe County Leaf Program “Clean Air Club” GUARANTEES Lowest Subscription Price EVERY YEAR! GO TO WWW.SJCLP.COM - Select “Clean Air Club” Subscription Questions? Contact us at cs@stjoecountyrecycling.com
moc.gnilcycerytnuoceojts@Vol. sc ta39, su tcNo. atno9 C ?snoitseuQ noitpircsbuS
February 2026
www.seniorlifenewspapers.com Subscription Questions? Contact us at cs@stjoecountyrecycling.com
St. JoSeph edition Reaching South Bend and SuRRounding countieS
Sikorskis STICK TOGETHER JUST MARRIED — Mike and Kris Sikorski are shown on their wedding day, May 24, 1969. The South Bend couple first met on the step of Kris Sikorski’s front door - and have been together ever since. Photo provided by the Sikorskis. By MAKSYM HART Staff Writer Mike and Kris Sikorski have spent more than 60 years doing most things the same way: together. The South Bend couple met in the summer of 1964, when Kris Sikorski was 16 and Mike Sikorski, a few years older, spotted her sitting on the front steps of her parents’ home. They had attended the same grade school and lived just one street apart, sharing an alley where Mike Sikorski had noticed Kris Sikorski walking with her cousin. That afternoon, Mike Sikorski stopped his car, introduced himself, and a lifelong partnership quietly began. They dated through Kris Sikorski’s junior year of high school and into her senior year before life intervened. During the Vietnam War, Mike Sikorski enlisted for three years. When he returned in March, the couple married just two months later. More than six decades later, they still marvel at how quickly the years passed. “Days are long, but the years are short,” Kris Sikorski said, reflecting on a relationship that has now spanned 61 years. The Sikorskis attribute their longevity to shared interests, mutual respect
and a deep sense of partnership. From the beginning, they found joy in the same things: football, racing, conversation and daily routines that kept them connected. Mornings begin with coffee and planning the day; evenings often end with a glass of wine and conversation about whatever the day brought. Their marriage was not without challenges. Both worked long careers - Kris Sikorski nearly 40 years in the trucking industry, Mike Sikorski more than 30 years in his field while navigating family responsibilities, including years spent caring for Mike Sikorski’s mother as her health declined. They describe those years as demanding but formative, reinforcing the teamwork that defined their marriage. “We didn’t flip around,” Mike Sikorski said of their work lives. “You get a job, you work your job.” That work ethic, they said, was modeled by their parents. Both were raised in Polish Catholic households that emphasized commitment, cooperation and responsibility. Those values shaped not only how they approached work, but how they approached marriage.
TOGETHER THEY HAVE IT ALL — Mike and Kris Sikorski, who have been married for more than 50 years, pose at their South Bend home, where they continue to share daily routines, hobbies and a lifelong partnership built on mutual respect and teamwork. Photo by Maksym Hart.
Continued on page 3
Protect What Matters Most
Planning Today to Protect Your Tomorrow
Your Family’s Financial Security Is At Risk Without proper planning, your home and savings, which represent your family’s financial security, could be greatly reduced by nursing home expenses and probate costs.
Learn how to secure your assets and preserve your legacy
Free Workshops
For Persons 60 or Older Seating is Limited
Monday, Feb. 2nd, 6pm or Monday, Feb. 9th, 6pm Ruth’s Chris Steak House - 902 E University Dr | Granger, IN
Reservations Required Call Today to Reserve Your Seat!
Advertising Material
574.703.3322
1237 East University Dr I Granger, IN 46530 www.riceandrice.com