Blooming Prairie Couple Appears on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ [INTERVIEW]

The process of landing a spot on the CBS game show Wheel of Fortune took the better part of a year, but it was worth it to Blooming Prairie's Mary Kittelson and her husband, Pete.

Mary and some friends traveled to an appearance of the "Wheel" mobile last year. She was invited to St. Paul for a follow-up audition some time after that. She says she had given up on the opportunity when an email came around Christmas that she and her husband were invited to Los Angeles to appear on the show. It was a Disney-themed week featuring couples married for a long time. Mary and Pete have been married about 40 years.

Mary said, "It was not a life-changing experience, but a once-in-a-lifetime one."

Friends in Blooming Prairie hosted a viewing party on Thursday, April 30, the day their episode aired. The show was shot in January. Mary and Pete had to keep secret the result of their efforts until the game aired. They finished second but did solve the prize puzzle to win a trip to Disneyland. The solution to that puzzle was "a truly unbelievable vacation." The two also figured out "captain of the ship."

Mary said it was fun to meet people from many different areas and said Pat Sajak was helpful, friendly and very personable.