Can you imagine being married for 85 years?
If you are married or have ever been, you are probably thinking, “No way!” Being with one person for that long seems impossible to most people. A lot of people plan and hope for their marriages to make it that long, but most don’t. Either they pass away too soon, or they divorce for one reason or another.
John and Ann Betar went on their first date in 1932.
They were only 17 and 21 at the time, but they knew that they were in love and belonged together. Some people wait a few months or years to get engaged after a first date and even longer to get married. John and Ann skipped the engagement and eloped just three days after their first date.
They recently celebrated their 85th anniversary.
Four years ago, they were recognized by the Worldwide Marriage Encounter being the unofficial longest-married couple in America. This is something they are very proud of but not surprised by. They always knew that they would be together forever, and they are clearly just as much in love now as they were in 1932.
John said:
“And they said it wouldn’t last!”
Ann and John knew each other well before their date and marriage.
They had grown up together as neighbors. They had always gotten along and considered each other friends, but as they grew older they both started to have romantic feelings for each other. It took a while for John to finally work up the nerve to ask out teenage Ann. He is glad that he finally did, and his life hasn’t been the same since.
John and Ann have built a great life together, and as you can imagine, they have got to watch several generations of their family grow up over the years. They have five kids, 15 grandkids, and numerous great-grandkids. All the result of them falling in love on that first date so long ago.
The couple decided to celebrate their 85th anniversary with a special ceremony.
They invited the entire family, and many of their loved ones were there to cheer them on. The couple even received gifts. One of these gifts was a ride in the very car they went on their first date in. They kissed in the backseat and reminisced about that first date so long ago.
While John and Ann have always been in love, that doesn’t mean that things have always been easy for the couple. They have had their fair share of arguments and struggles over the year. Somehow, they always found a way to get over their problems and make up. Even when they were angry.
Ann had a few words of advice for anyone who wants to stay married as long and her and John.
“Listen to one another no matter what the situation is. We’re not arguing, we’re listening, and we’ve always listened.”
Although a love like John and Ann’s is rare, it’s not impossible. They hope to spend many more years together and plan on celebrating more anniversaries with their family members. They don’t know what the future holds for them, but they know that whatever it brings, they will deal with it together.
Hopefully, their love and advice can motivate other couples to stay together and work out their problems. If John and Ann can stay together for 85 years, anyone can.
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