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During the month of February, when you walk past the library, you will see a collage of all the ways love is present in the Marian staff’s lives. 

   For many staff members, Marian students will only hear about their loved ones and spouses through stories in class. 

   For paraprofessional and library aide, Mrs. Karen Coolidge, however, all students walk past her husband, security guard Mr. Chuck Coolidge, every morning. 

   The wonderful pair of love birds have made their impact on Marian through their bright smiles and loving faces. 

   This then prompts the question: how did they get to this place?

   Their 42-year marriage started through a friend. Mrs. Coolidge says “we met at dance in college through another Chuck.”

   After getting to know each other they started going steady and have been together ever since.

   Since starting here in 2023, Mr. and Mrs. Coolidge loved working together. “Mr. Coolidge being here is a ‘God thing,’” Mrs. Coolidge said. “He was working a very demanding job, physically. He thought ‘I wish I had a job like you have.’ Ms. Rohlfs posted the job and we said ‘let’s just pray about it’…that led us to now.”

   Mr. Coolidge explains, “We love [working together]. If she needs a coffee or an oil change, I can go do it for her,” he said. “The girls just brighten your day.”

   Mrs. Coolidge advises younger generations, “don’t hurry into a relationship… be picky and choose someone who treasures you and pray for God to send you that person.” 

   Mr. Coolidge advised “to give and to take…and keep things 50/50.”

   She reflected on her own relationship with Mr. Coolidge: “He’s the neat, I’m the messy.”

   The Coolidges’ story is one for wholesome love books!