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Nashville couple of 70 years shares important relationship advice
Now that is advice we can all take.
Kate Miano
04.28.21

It would be wonderful to meet someone and stay married forever. But, unfortunately these days, that doesn’t seem to happen as much as it did for our parents and grandparents. In fact, the divorce rates of people above age 50 are increasing so much that it lead to the coining of a new term “Grey Divorce.”

There are a few, quite relatable, common causes of grey divorce. Some couples cite financial problems and differences of opinion in how to handle money. For other couples, they simply grew apart and did not know how to maintain or bring back the spark in their relationship. Additionally, an increase in the average life expectancy has lead older adults to imagine a life after their marriage. With all these changes going on, we all need to be inspired by couples who can maintain a deep love for eternity.

Unsplash - WJ photo
Source:
Unsplash - WJ photo

Alice and Bill Applegarth met in 1936.

While they were still in school at the age of 16, they met and became good friends. Their meet-cute is pretty interesting: when they met, Alice was dating Bill’s roommate while Bill was dating Alice’s best friend. Despite those relationships, once they met each other they realized that they were the right ones for each other, and promptly got together.

YouTube Screenshot - NewsChannel 5
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - NewsChannel 5

They got married in 1945.

After Bill returned from serving in World War II, Bill and Alice got married. Bill was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service, so he got married as a war hero and to the love of his life.

YouTube Screenshot - NewsChannel 5
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - NewsChannel 5

After their marriage, they stayed together as a solid unit for 70 years of marriage. When Bill started his engineering business, Alice was right by his side to help him launch it and build his business. They also enjoyed travelling to places such as the Middle East, Russia, Cuba, and 48 of the 50 states. They kept things interesting and always had fun together.

In an interview, they gave great relationship advice.

Speaking to NewsChannel 5, they shared advice that we should all take to heart.

YouTube Screenshot - NewsChannel 5
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - NewsChannel 5

Alice encouraged everyone to know what they want:

“Just set standards in what you’d like in the person you married, and then try and find ’em.”

And Bill said that you need to stick with that person, even on difficult days:

“Don’t drift off, keep the faith with each other. And be honest with each other. We didn’t always agree on everything, we had some distractions, but we always came back.”

YouTube Screenshot - NewsChannel 5
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - NewsChannel 5

A love that holds through thick and thin!

Their love stands the test of time.

Although Bill and Alice have both recently died, their love story should be an inspiration for what a solid marriage can look like. These two remained devoted to one another their whole lives, and even their obituaries make note of that.

YouTube Screenshot - NewsChannel 5
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - NewsChannel 5

Bill’s obituary calls Alice “the Love of his Life”, while Alice’s says “She was devoted to her husband… She also loved dancing, entertaining, and playing bridge with him.”

Bill and Alice are an exemplar for what a long-lasting marriage should look like, and we have their advice to guide us too.

YouTube Screenshot - NewsChannel 5
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - NewsChannel 5

Any love that lasts for 70 years of marriage and 10 years of dating does not come easy. Bill and Alice remind us that any happy marriage needs both hard work and the lightness to continue to have fun long after the initial spark fades.

YouTube Screenshot - NewsChannel 5
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - NewsChannel 5

Bill and Alice Applegarth prove that true love is forever. If we follow their advice and have a little bit of luck to meet the right person, then hopefully we can all experience what they shared.

To hear more amazing relationship advice from them, check out the video below.

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