POWAY -- In a world where divorce is more commonplace than long-lasting marriages, it's hard for some people to imagine a couple being happily wed for 70 years.

Imagine it.

Lester and Dorothy Gowey of Poway celebrated their 70th anniversary last week, something their friends and family describe as quite an accomplishment. Apparently, so does President George Bush, who sent the couple a congratulations letter they quickly framed and hung for all to see.

Also on display in their home: photo albums chronicling the memories the two have shared over the past seven decades.

"We never get tired of looking at these," Dorothy said last week.

The books are filled with messages from family members praising them for setting such a fine example and providing a strong foundation of love for generations to come.

The two met in 1934 at a small party held at a local service station in Adrian, Ore., when Dorothy was just 14 and Lester was 19.

"In my mind I said, that's the gal for me," Lester whispered. Then, taking his wife's hand, he smiled and said, "And I still got her."

They married four years later in an outdoor ceremony. Dorothy recalls babysitting for two families at $3.65 a week to save up for the blue velvet dress she wore on Sept. 23, 1938.

They say the hardest thing they faced over the years was simply getting by in tough times. But they said that with hard work and perseverance, and a little luck, they got by.

Lester, a veteran of World War II, went off to war in 1942 after the couple's first daughter, Donna, was born. He received two battle stars, for Iwo Jima and Okinawa, while serving aboard the Naval carrier escort USS Makassar Strait. While he was gone, Dorothy worked in the very shipyard in Vancouver, Wash., where the Makassar Strait was built.

Stationed at the naval base in San Diego, Lester said he always dreamed of returning to the area with Dorothy -- and in 1980 they finally did.

What makes a marriage last 70 years?

The two attribute their longevity to staying active and in love. Each said the other is their absolute best friend, adding that they rarely argue -- perhaps just a half dozen disagreements in the time they've been together.

And when there were arguments, they said, the formula was simple.

"Figure out what the problem is, where it came from and how to fix it," said Dorothy. "Because we always knew we were better together than apart."

"We are lucky," said Lester. "I don't think there are any couples any happier than we are."

Dorothy and Lester had three children -- Dennis Gowey of Poway, Darrel Gowey of El Cajon, and the late Donna Richard of Sacramento -- four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Twenty-two years ago, their children sent them to Hawaii for their 48th anniversary, fearing they'd not make it to their 50th.

"We were surprised to make our 50th, more surprised at our 60th and we just really can't believe it's our 70th," said Dorothy.

The couple, surrounded by family flown in from around the country, was surprised by a week of festivities that included an RV tour of San Diego, a stretch limo ride and a night of gambling and dining at Barona Valley Ranch and Casino.

Elena Cristiano is a freelance writer for the North County Times