Anne Fenton covers her mouth in shock as Mark Engstrom takes a knee and pops the question outside the science museum during Gadkin 2014. “It was too stereotypical to pass up,” Engstrom said. “I just went for it.”

Love at first … Gadkin?

Couple met at event three years ago, now engaged.

By RACHEL GMACH and BLYTHE WHEALY | Royal Report

At about 9 p.m. on an October Friday night, Mark Engstrom anxiously stood posing for pictures with Bethel senior Anne Fenton along the Mississippi River. Engstrom knew this was the moment — he had to act quickly before the camera was put away. He abruptly asked for one more picture.

Fenton & Engstrom play a game of mini golf together their freshmen year at Gadkin 2011. “I said ‘I’ll only go if i can ask Anne,” Engstrom recalls. “[Asking her] was my moment of courage.”

Fenton knew something must be up, as Engstrom was usually reluctant to take photos. As they awaited yet another picture, Engstrom nervously fumbled in his jacket. When his hand found the ring box, he slowly sank down to one knee and asked for Fenton’s hand: “Anne, will you marry me?”

Fenton fell to the pavement.

“She kind of jumped and then melted into a puddle on the ground,” Engstrom said.

After the couple processed what had just occurred, they both agreed they were happy it was over.

“It’s been a long time coming” Engstrom said. “I was relieved to have it out of the way.”

“It was something we’d talked about for quite awhile,” Fenton said.

The couple has been together for almost its whole college experience. Since December their freshman year, the two have been dating. Prior to making their relationship official, the two had been socializing in their intertwined friend group. Within this group, who all went to Gadkin together freshmen year, their relationship first started to blossom. Engstrom was reluctant to go to Gadkin unless he was able to take Fenton. He said if it weren’t for the courage he had to ask her to Gadkin freshman year, the two might not be in the same place they are today.

Mark Engstrom and Anne Fenton sit for an interview in Bethel Universities’ Heritage Hall to tell of their plans for the future. “I’ve been looking at jobs at places like Medtronic,” Engstrom said. “Once I have the job secured, it will kind of determine where we’re going to live.”

Asking Fenton, however, was not the only burst of courage Engstrom had in making this proposal happen. Engstrom had to ask Fenton’s dad for his approval. He had put this off for as long as he possibly could. Although he knew Fenton’s dad would say yes, Engstrom still had to muster up his courage. In fact, Engstrom’s own parents had to bribe him with his favorite candy, sour worms, to ensure he made the call. Both families are in full support of the two of them getting engaged.

“It was something we had talked about for so long,” Fenton said. “I was hoping it would happen.”

Anne Fenton shows off the ring Mark Engstrom took her to pick out the Saturday after he proposed. “We had been talking marriage for quite a while,” she said.