‘Never give up’

By Kevin O’Brien

Last Wednesday morning, Deb Orth sat in her room at Colonial Health Services in Colby, taking in all the excitement as people popped in and out, asking last-minute questions and offering congratulations about her wedding later that day.

Her soon-to-be husband, Tom Kittleson, sat just a few feet away from her, dressed in a sharp suit and tie, seeming a little overwhelmed by all the hubbub.

“This is the first real wedding that I’ve really been to – and I’m the groom,” he said.

Born in Marshfield, Deb’s family moved to southeastern Wisconsin when she was still young, but she found her way back to the area. She lived in Milan – “blink and you’ll miss it,” she says – and also spent a lot of time in Medford before moving to the Colby facility two years ago.

Tom has been has been at Colonial Health Services for 10 years now. He grew up in Stoughton and also spent time in nearby Madison.

Deb, 56, said she first noticed Tom, 62, while planting flowers out by a bench where they officially met, and where their wedding ceremony was held on June 11.

“He was just so kind and thoughtful and everything,” she said.

“That’s a guy I would like,” she remembers thinking to herself. “That’s a guy I would like to talk to.”

Tom had also taken notice of Deb, and he took the step of starting their first conversation. It didn’t take long before the two were spending a lot of time together.

“We sat out on that bench and talked, and told each other everything we knew about each other,” Tom said.

As their courtship continued, they went on a dinner date, to Medo’s Restaurant in Abbotsford, and, on Valentine’s Day last year, one of the nursing home staff decorated a special table for them. When Tom went away on a trip, Deb wrote notes for him and put them on his bed for him to read when he got back. Some of them are still pinned to the bulletin board outside his room.

At some point, Tom realized that he wanted to make their bond official.

“I decided that I was going to ask her to marry me,” he said.

See WEDDING/ Page 5

MISTER AND MISSUS - Deb (Orth) Kittleson smiles at her new husband, Tom, during the couple's wedding ceremony at Colonial Health Services in Colby last week Wednesday. The couple got married on the bench where they met.

PHOTO BY JENNIFER DECKER Wedding

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Deb said Tom “pre-proposed to me” before they officially got engaged on July 10, 2024, while her family was in town visiting.

Pastor Michael Mathey of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Milan and St. John High Steeple Church in Edgar was picked by Deb to preside over the nuptials. Pastor Mathey was one of several visitors who came by Deb’s room in the lead-up to the wedding ceremony. Their flower girl, Holly Sweda, also made an appearance, and a friend of Deb’s since first-grade stopped by to ask where the box was to put his card.

“It’s a purple box, obviously,” Deb told him, referring to her favorite color. Purple was not only the color of her dress, but it also adorned several balloons, streamers and other decorations decked across the nursing home for the wedding.

When the pastor arrived, the groomto- be said he was nervous that he wouldn’t know what to do with himself during the ceremony.

“I can’t remember anything I’m supposed to do,” Tom said, sounding a bit like every groom who has ever walked down the aisle.

“You don’t need to worry about it,” the pastor reassured him.

“Just follow you, right?” Tom asked. “That’s what you’ve got to do,” Pastor Mike replied. “See, I’ve got you covered. You will be perfectly fine.”

Life took Tom and Deb many places before they ended up together in Colby. Deb worked for the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and Tom assisted his father, a carpenter, when he lived in the Madison area.

“I just did want he told me to do,” Tom says.

Deb recalls the fact that she once lived in an old furniture store in Milwaukee and then an old bank in Milan.

“Not too many people can say they’ve lived in an old furniture store and an old bank,” she said, laughing.

A few family members, including Deb’s father, were mixed in with the rest of the wedding guests, many of whom are fellow residents at Colonial. Deb’s best friend, Ruth Frank, came from Worthington to be her maid of honor, and Brian Loucks, the husband of a former Colonial staff member, stood up as Tom’s best man.

After the ceremony, the newlyweds and their guests enjoyed a picnic-style lunch catered by Smith Bros. of Colby, featuring hamburgers, brats and classic side dishes like potato salad and fresh fruit and veggies.

For their honeymoon, Tom said they’re hoping to go to Lambeau Field for Family Night later this year. Both husband and wife are huge Wisconsin sports fans, especially when it comes to the Packers and Badgers.

When asked for advice for those looking for love later in life, the couple responded in unison: “Never give up.”

“You’d be surprised,” Tom said. “Even if you think it’s going to be tough, go through it because you’re going to surprise yourself.”

NEWLYWEDS - Tom and Deb Kittleson hold hands and smile for a photo under a bow of multi-colored balloons. PHOTO BY JENNIFER DECKER