Interviewed and written by Carlie Heinecke
It’s often said that love arrives when you least expect it — and for Riverview Landing residents Mary Gray and Wayne Reistad, that could not have been truer. Their journeys to our community began miles apart, shaped by loss, change, and resilience. But those separate paths eventually crossed right here at Riverview Landing, where something neither of them imagined: a second chance at love.
Finding Their Way to Riverview Landing
Wayne’s Journey
About three years ago, Wayne suffered a serious fall at his home in Owatonna where he and his wife had lived for 30 years. He spent months in the hospital — so ill that his son wasn’t sure he would survive. When Wayne finally recovered enough to discharge, he and his wife made the decision to move into Riverview Landing. Wayne has been in the same apartment ever since, grateful for the second chance he didn’t think he would get.
Mary’s Journey
Mary and her husband, Alec Gray, moved from Ottertail County to Monticello after their son purchased a townhome for them. Alec’s Alzheimer’s was progressing, and within nine months, he required hospice care. Mary moved him to Hanover, where she was told Alec had only a few months left. He passed just six weeks later.
After his death, Mary did not want to remain in the townhome alone. She downsized and began searching for a new place to call home. A friend invited her to an event at Riverview Landing — a community Mary had never heard of. Mary toured the community, felt a spark of possibility, and made the decision to move to Riverview Landing.
A Chance Connection That Became Something More
Adjusting to life at Riverview Landing was not easy for Mary at first. She lost weight, felt lonely, and did not know anyone. But she found comfort in the walking path — a quiet place to breathe, cry, and heal.
Then one day in the dining room, everything changed.
Wayne was sitting with a friend and noticed Mary. “She was a nice-looking lady,” he recalls, smiling. “She caught my eye.” Wayne had recently lost his wife as well, and he too was struggling with the loss.
They invited Mary to sit down for a cup of coffee — their first conversation, and the beginning of a friendship that quickly deepened. Before long, they found themselves chatting from their balconies (Mary lived one floor below Wayne).
Then came the night Wayne invited Mary to visit his apartment. Mary said it was late and said no to the invitation. However, as they rode the elevator up, Wayne gently blocked the door at the third floor and pressed the fourth-floor button. They ended up talking until two in the morning in Wayne’s apartment. When they finally said goodnight, Wayne kissed the top of Mary’s head. Mary pulled away, saying, “I can’t do this. I just lost my husband.” Wayne simply replied, “One day you will.”
He walked Mary home. One day did eventually come.
Their relationship grew naturally, week by week. Mary met Wayne’s sons — including Mark, who tested her with questions before she boldly told him, “I love your dad. I want to take care of him.” His smile told her everything was okay.
Before moving in together, Mary even met 29 of Wayne’s extended family members at a baptism. “Everything worked out fine,” she says. “Now I’m part of that big family.”
Eventually, Wayne asked Mary to move in. Mary told him, “If you want me to move in here, we have to buy new sheets.” Wayne laughed and said, “Well, we’ll have to go to Target.”
Four hundred fifty dollars later, with new sheets and a new bedspread, the move began.
Love, Loss, and Loving Again
Mary and Wayne see their love through a spiritual lens. “What are the odds that we would both lose our spouses within a month of each other, and then end up together?” Mary reflects. “We were living in opposite counties of Minnesota. There is only one way we would be together — it’s part of God’s plan.”
Both carry profound histories. Mary was married to Alec for 28 years. She truly believed she would never love again. Wayne had a wife he deeply loved, and a gravestone plot already prepared next to her.
Because of their pasts, neither Mary nor Wayne plans to remarry. Mary would lose her burial place at Fort Snelling next to Alec, a veteran who served eight years in the Army. Wayne already has a place beside his wife and daughter in Ellendale.
“So, we hang onto ‘’til death do us part,’’’ Mary says. “We aren’t married, but we feel married to each other. God had a plan and brought us both to this place at the same time.”
What Love Means Now
For Mary, love at this stage in life is simple and profound: “Having someone to talk to. Someone who is always there. Someone you can touch. Having someone there.”
Wayne finds joy in companionship and shared interests. He loves Western music that reminds him of his farming years and enjoys talking about the cars he used to collect — including the red convertible currently in the Riverview Landing garage.
Mary says, “He is so handsome and very charming. At night he will turn over, put his hand on mine, or give me a kiss and say, ‘I love you,’ and it’s just so special.”
Advice on Second Chances
Mary’s words are powerful: “I never thought I would ever have anyone else in my life. I thought I would just be alone and cry all the time. When you open yourself to someone else, God blesses the circumstance. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll live together — but no one else gets to decide what that will look like. The love we have is beautiful, and it could have only been put there by God.”
Wayne adds simply, “A second chance is the best thing in the world. And I found a gal who is willing and able to do things together. She likes to do things for me, not only herself.”
Together, Mary and Wayne make it a point to welcome new residents, offering the same warmth that once helped them find each other.
A Story of Hope
Mary and Wayne are a reminder that companionship can return when you least expect it — even after deep loss. Their story is full of courage, humor, healing, and faith.
“We live every day and are happy,” Mary says. “God had a plan.”
And here at Riverview Landing, that plan unfolded into a love story that continues to grow — one cup of coffee, one late-night conversation, and one shared sunrise at a time.
