Couple get county’s first same-sex marriage license

COSHOCTON – Coshocton County has issued its first marriage license to a same-sex couple after last week’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court affirming those unions across the nation.

“It’s very nice to be the first,” said Stacey Ganz, 41, of Coshocton, “because we’re very comfortable with our friends in Coshocton County.”

“It’s pretty groundbreaking,” said her fiancee, Michelle Turner, 44. “I never thought in my lifetime I would see this day. It’s very exciting. It makes me very proud.”

Turner and Ganz have lived together for 18 years. They have three children, the oldest two from Ganz’s previous marriage.

They applied for and received their marriage license Monday morning from the Coshocton County Probate Court, signed by Juvenile and Probate Court Judge Van Blanchard II.

“I think we were a little bit nervous at first,” Ganz said. “We didn’t know what to expect. The probate court was absolutely wonderful helping us.”

Turner co-owns Dean’s Jewelry with her brother. Ganz serves as an intervention specialist for Coshocton High School. Both are Coshocton natives.

“We moved back here 14 years ago,” Turner said. “ We lived in Columbus for several years.”

The couple now have 60 days to marry. They have not yet set the date.

They had a commitment ceremony before their families 10 years ago.

“But as far as a legal wedding, we’re not sure how we’re going to do that yet,” Turner said.

“We’re thinking we may just go through the court and have the judge do it,” Ganz said. “Haven’t made the call yet. It’s on the list.”

The marriage also will help the couple get affordable health insurance for their children.

“It’ll be wonderful to get my benefits for them when we get married,” Ganz said.

April Chaney and Heidi Koch, of Nellie, plan to get their marriage license Tuesday morning. Other commitments prevented them from doing it Monday, Chaney said.

Chaney, 36, works for AK Steel. Koch, 39, is a massage therapist. They’ve been together for more than four years. Koch has a 9-year-old daughter and 17-year-old son. Neither has been married before.

Chaney is excited to be able to marry her best friend and acquire all the rights other married people have.

“It means equality to me,” she said. “I’ll now be looked at as a person and not as ‘that gay person.’ ”

On Monday, Turner and Ganz’s marriage license form still had Mr. and Ms. on it, though those words were crossed out with x’s.

That will be changed and replaced with gender-neutral words such as “applicant,” probate court administrator Doug Schonauer said.

Schonauer said the local court had interest from applicants Friday but did not process applications then because Blanchard was reviewing the Supreme Court decision. On Monday, court employees were calling back those couples to let them know the process had begun locally, he said.

jwilliams6@coshoctontribune.com

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