Captivating Couples

America’s Most Captivating Couples 2007

It was difficult to narrow down the entries, but we finally did it–and the result is the year’s most captivating couples! Ranging from a historic preservationist to a superhero to a TV talk show host (times two), it’s great to see so many proud women, not just in love, but spreading that love around and making the world a brighter place. Their stories inspired us, and we know they’ll inspire you, too. Say hello to this year’s sweethearts.

MARGE & DIANE

Marge Ballack
53, Librarian’s Assistant at the Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute/Former and Future Kitchen Design Business Owner

Diane Lantz
58, Superintendent of the Shipping and Receiving Department at The Spokesman-Review

Spokane, WA
Marge met Diane in 1978, while briefly working for the paper where Diane was—and still is—employed. “We knew in our hearts that we were meant to be together,” says Marge. She ultimately moved in to Diane’s place, but left “with a broken heart” in 1985. Yet “within a few months, we decided that even though we weren’t perfect, we were still deeply in love.” In 2003, Marge and Diane married in British Columbia, and in 2004, they participated in a lawsuit to have that marriage recognized in the state of Washington. Though they ultimately lost—“for ridiculous reasons,” says Marge—their battle threw a bright light on inequality and they, as a couple, seem to shine with a light as well. When PBS interviewed them recently, a crewmember said that out of the thousands of couples he filmed, they were the most loving.

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