What is the benchmark that when you hear someone has been married that long, you think “Wow! That’s a long time!”?
Is it 25 years? How about 50?
Well, for one West Virginia couple, they made it 75 years and are still just as in love as when they first met.
Lorraine was a native of Boone County but was visiting Sissonville when she first laid eyes on Ulysses, where he was born and raised.
She had been carrying a bucket of water from the town well when she decided to ‘accidentally’ knock it over in hopes that the handsome young man would come to her rescue.
He did, and the pair have been inseparable ever since.
They married shortly after World War 2 ended and Ulysses looked spiffy in his dress uniform, while Lorraine looked beautiful in a red 2 piece suit.
However, it wasn’t the typical ‘wedding’ many couples dream about.
Little did they know – that would come more than seven decades later.
Through faith, love, and compromise, the couple have faced all the ups and downs that married life can bring.
75 years later, in front of 5 generations of their family, the couple said their “I do’s” again in a beautiful wedding ceremony.
Ulysses donned his uniform, and Lorraine finally got to wear the beautiful white dress she had always dreamed about.
When asked by the officiant who gave this woman to be married, the entire crowd proudly stated that they all did.
With Lorraine’s bouquet being beautiful yellow and white roses, the men and women in the wedding party all wore yellow as well.
Both the husband and wife beamed the whole time they were partaking in the ceremony, and Ulysses even wiped away a few tears.
When asked if he had anything he wanted to say as his vows, the 94-year-old man could only lean down and give his beaming 92-year-old wife a big kiss.
When asked how they felt after the ceremony, both (sort of) newlyweds said very similar things.
“I thank God for him.” Lorraine told WCHS, “I could never find a better one.”
While Ulysses said, “Our prayers were answered, and I thank God for it all.”
Ulysses also chuckled a bit as he said, “The knot was tied awful tight, and it’s still holding.”
Seeing the everlasting love these two people share is an incredible sight, and their family must certainly think so too.
As the camera panned across the crowd of family members who attended the vow renewal ceremony, there was a smile of every single face, and a few tears here and there as well.
When asked what 75 years of marriage was like, the couple said that there were definite ups and downs throughout, but there was also always bliss.
Their final piece of advice was something that every couple should take into account, “Be sure you love each other.”
“And it’s a 50/50 thing.” Lorraine continued, “It’s not an 80/20 thing, it’s 50/50.”
With 75 years under their belts, these two lovebirds definitely know what they are talking about.
See the love that Ulysses and Lorraine have for each other in their wedding video below!
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