Couple shares courthouse wedding

BESSEMER - With vows exchanged underwater or near volcanoes, and reception parties with hundreds of guests and price tags for thousands of dollars, the norm for weddings seems to be shifting toward the more extravagant, the better.

But there are still those who prefer something a little more simple.

Evelyn Carroll, of Eau Claire, Wis., now goes by Evelyn Lane after marrying Daniel Lane at the Gogebic County Courthouse in Bessemer Friday morning.

"To me, marriage is about more than just all that money you spend for one night," Evelyn explained why they were wed at the courthouse. "It's for life."

Magistrate Mary Ahnen married the two on the courthouse lawn, which roused a round of applause from a few onlookers when the two kissed to seal the deal.

Following the short ceremony, Evelyn said she was "elated."

"Thrilled," she added. "Finding love late in life is great."

The couple was off to lunch after signing the proper paperwork to make the union official, then headed toward Lake Superior to spend the evening.

Evelyn, whose former husband passed away, said she's known Daniel for several years as a "nice guy."

She and her former husband had a place in Wakefield, near Daniel's residence, which was how the newlyweds met.

Daniel's sister, Marty Olson, who witnessed the wedding ceremony with her husband, John, told of how the romance started.

"Dan was getting the mail one day and she was crossing the street," Marty Olson said. "He asked her if she'd ever like to get a cup of coffee, and from there sparks flew and they fell in love."

Daniel had something fancy planned for their first date. The two spent an evening sitting in his kitchen sharing a pasty.

"I think I won her over with that," he said. "How else do you win someone over in the U.P.?"