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Man proposes to high school sweetheart after rekindling their romance

<p dir="ltr">Over 60 years ago, Thomas and Nancy met when they were in high school and fell in love. </p> <p dir="ltr">Despite their feelings for each other, their romance didn’t last and they fell out of touch as life moved on. </p> <p dir="ltr">Sixty years on, Thomas and Nancy rekindled their relationship and spent three weeks having phone conversations to discover their affection for each other never died. </p> <p dir="ltr">Nancy then decided to fly to Thomas’ home state of Florida for an emotional reunion, and was shocked by the surprise she arrived at. </p> <p dir="ltr">Walking off the plane in the city of Tampa, Nancy was greeted by Thomas on one knee, delivering an emotional speech about how much he loves her, before he asked her to marry him. </p> <p dir="ltr">The heart-felt moment, captured by a fellow traveller and posted to TikTok, shows Thomas dressed up in a suit, waiting nervously for Nancy to arrive with a big smile on his face.</p> <p dir="ltr">Upon seeing her, he handed her a bouquet of roses and gave her a tender kiss before he pulled out his ring and started professing his love. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CuQIG3Mr0GA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CuQIG3Mr0GA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by PerezHilton.com (@perezhilton)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“My dear Nancy, it's been 60 years since we first met, 56 years since we first dated, 10 years since I last saw you, and 20 days since we began this,” he said, his voice shaky with emotion. </p> <p dir="ltr">“You have always been the one I've had a crush on, since your cheerleader days.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“It brings a smile to my face, it makes my heart skip a beat [to see you]. For the last three weeks, I have thought of you every day, every hour and have talked to you every night for hours.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have longed to see you again, hold you in my arms, and tell you how much you mean to me.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“So Nancy, I come to you humbly today, June 30, with a proposal. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and cherish every moment we will have together.” </p> <p dir="ltr">“I love you more than words can express, more than you can ever comprehend. I want to spend the rest of my life proving that to you and making you the happiest woman in the world.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Will you Nancy, give me the honour of being my soulmate in life? My partner in every sense of the word, my beloved wife forever? Will you marry me?”</p> <p dir="ltr">Nancy, who had started to cry while Thomas was talking, quickly said yes to the proposal, which resulted in Thomas cheering and a group of strangers who had stopped to watch clapping for the couple before they embraced in a big hug. </p> <p dir="ltr">The TikTok creator also shared a snap of Thomas and Nancy posing together while holding up a sign that read, “She said yes!”</p> <p dir="ltr">The video has gained millions of views, and it sparked a slew of comments from people who said they were “sobbing” over Nancy and Thomas' love story.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They were meant to be, nor time or distance tore them apart,” one person wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Another said, “When two souls are meant to be, they will find each other.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

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Princess Diana’s niece marries longtime sweetheart

<p>In a stunning mountain-top ceremony, Princess Diana’s niece Lady Amelia Spencer has married her longtime love, Greg Mallett. </p> <p>The couple, who have been dating since they were teenagers and engaged since 2020, teased that the big day was coming with a post to social media captioned “Not long now”. And while they have yet to share any pictures from their big day, Earl Charles Spencer’s daughter opened up to <em>HELLO! </em>about what it meant to tie the knot in a place so dear to their hearts. </p> <p>"It means so much to get married here," she said of their Cape Town location. "Growing up here together for the last 14 years, all of mine and Greg’s happiest times as a couple are here. It’s even more special now."</p> <p>“I’ve been dreaming of watching Amelia walk down the aisle for 14 years,” Greg added. </p> <p>The pair met - and got engaged - in South Africa, and it was in 2021 that Amelia and Greg decided to relocate to the United Kingdom. </p> <p>Amelia has previously stated to <em>HELLO! </em>that the proposal marked the “most romantic” day of her life. And as Greg explained, "I had one big pink box, inside which I put in eight smaller boxes, decreasing in size.</p> <p>"In each box was a photograph of a 'first time'. The final box contained a note instead of a picture, that said: 'But most importantly, I know that you will remember tonight as the night that I proposed.' As Amelia was reading the note, I dropped to one knee with the ring."</p> <p>Amelia’s sisters - twin Eliza and big sister Kitty - were in attendance at the wedding, as well as her younger brother, Samuel. </p> <p>However, according to reports, Amelia’s father - Princess Diana’s brother - was not there. This didn’t come as a huge surprise to some, as he’d also missed Lady Kitty’s wedding - a move that has reportedly created a divide between the Earl and some of his children. </p> <p>As a source told <em>The Daily Mail</em>, “Kitty and Charles were very close when she was growing up, but their relationship has cooled and been more distant since his marriage to his third wife Karen in 2011.”</p> <p>That same source went on to explain that Charles had suffered an injury and that that was likely “the reason for him not travelling”, but it has yet to be revealed what his reasons were for missing out on Amelia’s ceremony as well. </p> <p>It also appears that neither William nor Harry celebrated alongside their cousin on her happy day. </p> <p>Still, fans and friends of the couple were more than happy to share their joy, writing their congratulations on Amelia’s teasing post.</p> <p>“Congratulations [to] you two on your nuptials. You are a beautiful couple,” wrote one. </p> <p>“Wow what a beautiful, happy, healthy, stunning couple,” declared another. “I wish you both all the happiness in the world.”</p> <p>While one announced for all of them, “Simply can’t wait.”</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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High school sweethearts tie the knot after 70 years apart

<p>High school sweethearts who were separated close to seven decades ago reunited during the coronavirus pandemic and are now married.</p> <p>Their love story began 68 years ago, when Fred Paul and Florence Harvey first laid eyes on each other.</p> <p>The couple met when they were teenagers in Wandsworth, a small town in Newfoundland and Labrador province, Canada. They spent all their free time together, going for walks after church, stealing kisses in between classes, and attending concerts.</p> <p>Every night during the two years they were together, Paul, 84, would flicker his porch light before going to bed. It was his way of telling Harvey, who lived across the bay, good night and that he loved her.</p> <p>"She was my first love. My first girlfriend and my first true love."</p> <p>But when Paul turned 18, and Harvey was 15, the two ended up going their separate ways. Paul relocated to Toronto for work. A year later, when he came back to look for her, Harvey had moved to another town.</p> <p>Eventually, they both married other people and started families.</p> <p>Come 2017, Harvey was single once again after she had lost her husband of 57 years to cancer. The couple were happily married and had five children together.</p> <p>Two years later, Paul's wife of nearly 60 years, also passed away. They had two children together.</p> <p>It was the shared grief over losing their spouses that brought them back together.</p> <p>Harvey reached out to Paul after hearing the tragic news, to reassure him that things would get better.</p> <p>During that first conversation which took place after Valentine's Day, they spoke about their lives, their children and grandchildren and celebrated each other's happy moments.</p> <p>"I never thought it would go past that," Harvey, 81, told CNN. "But we went from talking once a week, to twice, to three times, to every day for hours. We had really reconnected even though we hadn't seen each other in all those years. I knew this was it."</p> <p>"When I found out she was in town and was coming to me, it was 10:30 at night. I ran out of bed and got dressed and wrote 'Welcome Florence' in chalk on the driveway and when she arrived, I walked to the car, gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and I held her hand and I knew right away that she had taken my heart," Paul said.</p> <p>Just three days after reuniting, the couple made the decision to get married</p> <p>Despite their family questioning it, Paul and Harvey knew exactly what they wanted.</p> <p>Paul was also one month away from starting treatment for stomach cancer, but Harvey was committed to being by his side throughout the good and the bad, no matter what that meant.</p> <p>On August 8, Paul and Harvey exchanged vows in front of family and close friends at Norval United Church in Georgetown, Ontario.</p> <p>"You were the first young man to walk me home in my teens," Harvey told Paul during the ceremony. "I guess you'll be the last man to walk me home."</p> <p>Now, the couple plan to go back in time and retrace the first half of their love story by visiting the childhood town where they met and fell in love all those years ago.</p>

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Jon Bon Jovi reveals secret behind 31 years of successful marriage with high school sweetheart

<p>Rocker Jon Bon Jovi and his wife Dorothea Bongiovi are madly in love, just as they were when they first began dating back in high school.</p> <p>The couple opened up to <em><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://people.com/music/jon-bon-jovi-wife-dorothea-40-year-love-story/" target="_blank" title="people.com">People</a></em><span> </span>magazine on Wednesday and admitted the secret recipe to cook up a bond like the one they have shared for over 40 years.</p> <p>“Mutual respect,” Bon Jovi told the outlet.</p> <p>“Having grown up together and grown together. And we really like each other. We want to hang out.”</p> <p>The pair, both 58, have four children: Stephanie, 27, Jesse, 25, Jacob, 18, and Romeo, 16.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CFfZ-LJsYAh/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CFfZ-LJsYAh/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by BON GIOVI FAMILY🤍✨ (@bongiovi.family)</a> on Sep 23, 2020 at 12:25pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The <em>Livin’ On A Prayer</em> singer also admitted that in spire of the endless fame and fortune, Dorothea has always remained “without a doubt” his rock.</p> <p>“We work hard at it, but we enjoy each other and we never fell for the trappings of what celebrity can do,” he said.</p> <p>“We’ve witnessed that happen over the years to people that were close to us and people that we knew from afar. It’s just what I do, it’s not who I am. I write songs.</p> <p>“I happen to be very good at performing them. That’s it.”</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CFxFnj7s58A/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CFxFnj7s58A/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Bongiovi kids ( Fan Account ) (@bongiovi_kids)</a> on Sep 30, 2020 at 9:14am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The couple have also been outspoken on giving their kids a normal upbringing.</p> <p>Together the pair launched the Soul Foundation in 2006, and together alongside their family and the organisation, they aim to tackle homelessness and hunger in the United States.</p> <p>“It’s a partnership,” Dorothea told the outlet.</p> <p>“When we see injustice or people suffering, you want to help. We’re very blessed, and we have the ability to do that.”</p> <p>“I’m happiest if I like what I do for a living, I’m doing right by my family and I’m making the world just a little bit better,” Bon Jovi said.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838138/bon-jovi.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/363c63675a9c41dbbd7514c7e6cd9df6" /></p> <p>The couple met at Sayreville War Memorial High School in their New Jersey hometown.</p> <p>In 1989, at the height of Bon Jovi’s success, the couple eloped to Las Vegas.</p> <p>Bon Jovi admitted he is not saint, and found a sanctuary in his marriage.</p> <p>“She’s the glue,” he said.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838136/bon-jovi-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/42c1458918954fdeb1ad99d76a87b3e8" /></p> <p>“I’m the crazy visionary with all kinds of things flying, and the seams are all splitting. She’s the one following me with the glue and the thread and needle, keeping it all together.</p> <p>“Somehow I became the poster boy for a long-married rock star.</p> <p>“But I’ll accept the mantle because I’m so happy.”</p>

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Princess Stephanie's son marries childhood sweetheart at stunning wedding

<p>Surrounded by love and warmth, the wedding ceremony of 54-year-old Princess Stephanie's son with Daniel Ducruet, Louis Ducruet, 26, to his childhood sweetheart Marie Chevallier, 26, was truly a special event. </p> <p>It was the first royal wedding at Monaco’s Cathedral since Louis's famous grandparents, Princess Grace and Prince Rainier, said their vows while surrounded by over 200 guests. </p> <p>The joyous event was one to remember for the groom’s family with his mother Princess Stephanie crying <span>before the ceremony even began, according to local newspaper </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://l.instagram.com/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.monacomatin.mc%2F&amp;e=ATMaOke22gRxQ1cE9mpz2AEPDnqJiQSY_kn9-xlR_xaU3WB7IgPOXXXmjoZoa_5Bek-fhcqFFpaFqi_1" target="_blank"><em>Nice Matin</em>.</a></p> <p>Glowing bride Marie arrived in a vintage Rolls Royce decorated with feminine pink and white flowers where she was pictured wiping away what appeared to be tears. </p> <p>The grandson to Hollywood icon Grace Kelly married his college sweetheart in a lavish two-day wedding that began on Friday. </p> <p>The bride wore three outfits for the joyous occasion – an ivory jumpsuit and white midi dress both designed by Rosa Clara, along with a<span> traditional bridal gown made of silk and Chantilly lace designed by Atelier Boisanger. </span></p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see the beautiful wedding of Louis Ducruet and Marie Chevallier. </p>

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King Edward's affair with "sweetheart" before marrying Wallis Simpson

<p>As the only British monarch to abdicate voluntarily, the story of King Edward VIII is not to be missed.</p> <p>In 1936, King Edward VIII – who was the brother of Queen Elizabeth's father – rocked the British monarchy after he expressed his wish of marrying twice-divorced American woman Wallis Simpson. As head of the Church of England, Edward was advised against tying the knot with a divorcee, and his proposal was met with opposition from the religious institution and most politicians in the Commonwealth.</p> <p>After failing to find a solution, Edward finally abdicated his throne in December – making Queen Elizabeth's father King George VI of England – and left for Europe to marry Simpson the following year. The couple, who became the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, stayed together until Edward’s death in 1972.</p> <p>However, before the marriage, Edward also had a series of affairs with married women. One of them was English socialite and textile heiress Freda Dudley Ward, who Simpson once described as “my husband’s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/18/obituaries/marquesa-first-true-love-of-edward-viii-is-dead-at-88.html">first true love</a>”.</p> <p>Dudley Ward first met Edward, then the Prince of Wales, in 1918 during an air raid in London, when she had been married for five years to Liberal politician William Dudley Ward. The two soon became smitten with each other and began their relationship.</p> <p>In the letters to Dudley Ward, which were later sold at Sotheby’s New York, the prince repeatedly avowed his love. “'I love you love you so so madly &amp; desperately,” he wrote in one of the correspondences. “I worship &amp; adore you my sweetheart &amp; cant bear being away from you.”</p> <p>He called her his “Sweetheart &amp; Tormentor” and “my little Fredie” while signing himself as her “little slave” and “little parpee” (puppy). He would also phone her four to five times a night, and would reportedly become bereft when the line was busy or she was out of the house.</p> <p>Soon the affair became well-known among the high society, with Winston Churchill <a href="https://winstonchurchill.org/publications/churchill-bulletin/bulletin-082-apr-2015/winston-the-windsors/">once commenting</a>, “It is quite pathetic to see the Prince and Freda. His love is so obvious and undisguisable.”</p> <p>Dudley Ward’s marriage with her politician husband was dissolved in 1932. She enjoyed the prince’s company for a couple more years until their relationship was abruptly ended.</p> <p>In 1934, she called the St James’s Palace after a few weeks of not hearing from the prince. However, the operator informed her, “I have orders not to put you through.”</p> <p>Sotheby’s expert Marsha Malinowski said even though Dudley Ward was “admired by almost everyone in the prince’s circle”, she knew “their relationship wasn’t going anywhere and never would.”</p> <p>Since then, the two never spoke or wrote to each other again. According to the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/08/style/fractured-fairy-tale-an-archive-of-a-royal-romance.html" target="_blank"><em>New York Times</em></a>, the prince had become attached to Simpson, who did not favour any contact with old girlfriends.</p> <p>Dudley Ward went on to marry Pedro José Isidro Manuel Ricardo Monés in 1937, but they ultimately split up in 1954. She died in London in 1983 at the age of 88.</p>

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Teenager marries 72-year-old sweetheart

<p>A US teenager has tied the knot with his 72-year-old sweetheart after the couple met in a pizza restaurant, despite a staggering 53-year age gap.</p> <p><a href="http://www.news.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>News.com.au reports</strong></em></span></a> Gary Hardwick, 19, has been married to Almeda for two years and apparently popped the question after dating the pensioner for just two weeks.</p> <p>The couple, who live in Maryville, Tennessee, say it was love at first sight.</p> <p>“The first thing that attracted me to Almeda was her beautiful, gorgeous blue eyes. And her personality,” Gary said.</p> <p>“She’s always full of laughter and we just connected so well. The chemistry was great.</p> <p>“Everything about her has just captured my heart since day one.”</p> <p>Almeda added: “If you love somebody, age is just a number. I’ve now been happily married going on two years with my true soulmate.</p> <p>“We met at Chuck E Cheese, there was a birthday party there. I looked into his eyes and I just fell in love.</p> <p>“I knew he was the one I wanted to spend my life with. I was never intimidated by the age at all.”</p> <p>Despite the age gap, Gary and Almeda reportedly share a lot of interests.</p> <p>I never feel as though I’m missing out on anything by being married to Almeda,” Gary said.</p> <p>“I’m really mature for my age; I do not fit into the young age bracket at all.</p> <p>“I’ve never been attracted to younger women. Even when I was 13 or 14, I’ve always had an attraction for older women and when I told my grandmother, who raised me, I didn’t know how she would take it. But she accepted us.</p> <p>“A lot of people wait years to get married and everyone has different opinions on getting married quickly. But we knew we were in love, so I jumped on that.”</p> <p><a href="http://www.news.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>News.com.au reports</strong></em></span></a> Almeda’s grandchildren, Aaron and Indiana Elliot have been supportive, even though they found the relationship difficult to accept early on.</p> <p>“I only called him Grandfather once and it was when I was drunk,” Aaron said.</p> <p>“In my head, I see him as a friend more than a grandfather. But you know, our grandmother is happy.”</p> <p>Indiana, 17, added: “And how can you not be supportive about that?</p> <p>“For me personally, whenever they first got together it was a little bit weird. But, I mean, we live in the 21st century and those things really shouldn’t matter.</p> <p>“My mum on the other hand is very outspoken, because there’s an age difference between him and my mum too, so it’s a little weird to see your mother walking around with someone the same age as your own kids.”</p> <p>What are your thoughts?</p> <p><em>Hero image credit: Facebook / Gary Hardwick</em></p>

Relationships

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Childhood sweethearts banned from dating reunite 70 years later

<p>Ed Sellers and Katie Smith were just 14 and 15 years old respectively when they first met in North Carolina in the 1940s. For the next three years, the next-door neighbours traded love letters, went on chaperoned dates and fell in love.</p> <p>Then, suddenly, Katie’s parents stepped in and banned their daughter from ever seeing Ed again. They moved away and Katie, now 89, and Ed, now 88, remained separated for almost seven decades.</p> <p>During that time, they lived completely separate – yet happy – lives, marrying other people and having children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Sadly, Katie’s husband died 17 years ago, after a battle with cancer. Ed lost his wife to Alzheimer’s four years ago.</p> <p>Finally, after years of thinking about her, Ed plucked up the courage to give his old flame a call about a year and a half ago. “I came and got her number out of the phone book and started calling and she wouldn’t answer for a while,” Ed told <em>ABC News</em>.</p> <p>Eventually, she did pick up, and they began a routine of regular phone conversations. Their chats were going well, so one day, Ed drove 45 minutes to see Katie in person, and they picked up where they left off. It was as if a single day had never even passed.</p> <p>“They hit it off and they rekindled a friendship and the friendship grew to seem like they hadn’t even been apart,” Katie’s granddaughter Stefanie Helsel said. “He probably asked her for six months to marry him and she finally agreed. He tells the story that he doesn’t have enough fingers and toes to count the times he asked.”</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="498" height="245" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/43375/childhood-sweethearts-in-text_498x245.jpg" alt="Childhood Sweethearts In -text"/></p> <p>Now, they’re finally together, having tied the knot in a sweet ceremony – in rocking chairs, no less. The couple both honoured their late spouses by displaying their photos during the nuptials. “They’re not trying to replace them,” Helsel said. “They’re just happy to have a companion and comfort in the last years of their lives.”</p> <p>How sweet! Tell us in the comments below, how did you meet your partner or spouse?</p> <p><em>Image credit: Stefanie Helsel and Shakermickel Photography.</em></p>

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I found my first love after 41 years and now we’re happily married

<p><em><strong>Julie met her husband Ian 41 years ago when they were just 18-years-old. They fell in love but lost touch – until two years ago. Ian found Julie on Facebook and they reconnected. Seven months later, they got married. Here is their love story told from Julie and Ian’s perspective.</strong></em></p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Julie: </span></strong></p> <p>We first met when I was working for the PMG Forrest Place as a telephonist in 1975. I had been informed that there was going to be a meet and greet dance at the pagoda ballroom Como for an incoming Navy ship from the UK and as it was my night off I decided to attend. I arrived at the Pagoda Ballroom and immediately spotted the most handsome guy I had ever laid eyes on – it was definitely love at first sight. However, he didn’t appear to notice me until his friends advised him I was eyeing him off. He finally got up the nerve to ask me for a dance. We danced and had a few drinks until it was time to go home. Ian gave me the phone number for his ship HMS AJAX which was docked at Fremantle. I went home in a daze. At 18 years of age I had found the love of my life.</p> <p>In the morning I spoke to my parents about Ian and they suggested I invite him to stay at our home for the weekend, as we’re originally from the UK. I rang the ship and asked for Able Seaman Ian Armstrong. We spoke for a short time and I asked him if he would like to come stay at my parent’s place as I could show him the sights of Perth. He agreed.</p> <p>Unbeknown to me at the time, Ian had had a few too many drinks the night before and wasn't sure who Julie was until his mate said, “She was the dish you were dancing with last night”. When I arrived to collect Ian all his mates were whistling and giving him a hard time but as soon as our eyes met we both fell more in love. I just couldn't believe my luck me of all people to have this guy.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="499" height="305" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/33196/ian-and-julie.jpg" alt="Ian And Julie"/></p> <p>Whilst Ian's ship was docked in Fremantle we spent as much time together as we could. My parents and brother made Ian feel very welcome and he is the only boyfriend I have ever had that they all have approved. He was a total gentleman and always polite.</p> <p>When Ian sailed away on HMS AJAX I had already decided he was going to be my husband. We both agreed to write and keep in touch. I was heartbroken he had to leave but it was his job and career; his ship was on a world tour of 11 months. After Ian sailed I told my parents that he was the man for me.</p> <p>Ian and I wrote for weeks and he asked me to go to Adelaide to join him for Christmas. When I arrived at Adelaide airport, my dream man Ian was there waiting for me. We spent Christmas and New Year together and Ian asked me to marry him. I accepted and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do was to get on the plane to fly home. I spoke to my parents about my going back to the UK to live so I could be with Ian. They were very surprised as I’d been back to the UK last year and hated it! Ian and I kept writing for months. He got teased as I would write to him on lavender paper and spray it with perfume.</p> <p>But one day I rang Ian's parents to let them know that I was going to come live in the UK but I’d would live with my family until Ian got back. His mum told me he didn't want anything to do with me and that he already had a fiancée and was going to marry her. I was devastated so I stopped writing to Ian and decided to join to RAAF.</p> <p>I joined the RAAF in September 1976 and got posted to Darwin where I met my first husband. I was on the rebound from Ian as I was still in love with him. I married my first husband, also named Ian, in 1977 and went on to have three wonderful children. We travelled around Australia who was still in the RAAF. We finally got out of the RAAF in 1995 after Ian had completed 20 years, we bought a home and carried on with our lives. But Ian was never far from my thoughts and every 10th March, I’d always wish him a very happy birthday.</p> <p>My husband and I eventually broke up after 25 years of marriage and I stayed single for the next four years. Then I met my second husband on the internet, which was a mistake from the beginning, but I was lonely. Even after all these years I still thought about Ian. I married my second husband in August 2006 and it was up and down until 2014 when I walked out on the marriage and his daughters as I was very unhappy.</p> <p>I had lost touch with one of my sons because of husband number two but I still had my other son and daughter and all my grandchildren. I spoke to my daughter and told her my plan was to go to the UK in December 2015. I had decided the trip was to look for Ian, but I didn’t tell my family or kids that.</p> <p>Then in February 2015 I got a text message from my brother asking if I remembered an Ian Malcom Armstrong. I couldn't believe it! I rang my brother and he told me Ian had messaged my sister-in-law (who has the same first and last name as me) on Facebook twice; once in November 2014 and then in February 2015. I messaged Ian straight away and said I'm the Julie Penfold you are looking for. My stomach was flip-flopping while I waited for him to contact me. I couldn’t wait, I rang him and we spoke… it was like we had never ever been apart.</p> <p>Ian and I spoke every day; I told him all about my life, that I was married but getting a divorce. I told Ian about my children, my grandchildren, my friends and family. I had been estranged from my parents for a long time due to a family falling out as well as my parents not liking my first husband. I contacted my mum and told her about Ian. She was so happy and said if he came here she would love to see him.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="750" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/33197/engagement-ring_500x750.jpg" alt="Engagement Ring"/></p> <p>Ian and I spoke over the phone many, many times. Then we decided to marry – yes, even though we hadn’t seen each other for 40 years. It didn’t matter, we made arrangements for Ian to fly from the UK to Perth. Ian was on his way here when someone had a heart attack on his flight and they had to divert to Singapore. I was so scared it was Ian as he’s had a heart attack and two TIAS (mini strokes) and one major stroke in the past. When he finally rang me I just cried with relief to hear his voice.</p> <p>Ian arrived in Perth on 3 June 2015, I was so excited to see him and everything I had ever felt for him was there on the surface; our feelings for each other had not diminished.</p> <p>Later that week, I invited my whole family to a small welcome party for Ian. All my family were so happy to see Ian and made him so welcome, it was fabulous. Ian asked my dad for my hand in marriage. Dad said yes, so Ian proceeded to get down on one knee in front of my family and asked me to marry him. I said yes yes yes.</p> <p>Since then we have been on a holiday to Bali twice and to Singapore once. We are going to Bali again in April. Ian has been by my side when I was rushed to theatre for life-threatening surgery. I have been by his side when he had a mild heart attack a few months ago.</p> <p>We married on the 14 May 2016 and it was the best wedding of all. We are so happy and we’re as much in love s we were 41 years ago.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ian: </span></strong></p> <p>I joined the Royal Navy in 1973 and hope at an early age I would look forward to travelling. In the summer of 1975 I left England for an 11-month world deployment. I was lucky enough to visit Fremantle on board my ship HMS AJAX. Having been at sea for a while, we were looking forward to some shore time and sightseeing.</p> <p>One of the evenings I was in Fremantle, myself and some friends went to a dance at the Pagoda ballroom in Perth. During the evening, which held a special time in my life, I noticed a very attractive young lady and we made eye contact. I asked her to dance and I found out her name was Julie. We talked and danced together for most of the evening and exchanged phone numbers. I hoped we would see each other again during my visit to Fremantle.</p> <p>The following morning, I received a phone call whilst working in the helicopter hangar. I was surprised to hear it was Julie. I was very surprised she had told her family about me, and invited me to stay with them for a few days so I could see more of Julie and the sights. During my stay I had a fantastic time and even hired a plane to fly to Rottnest. I had a fantastic few days and was so happy that we had grown so close together over such a short period of time.</p> <p>When we left Fremantle we promised to keep in touch over the coming months. Julie and I wrote to each other nearly every day and we were becoming closer and closer. I visited Melbourne and was constantly getting letters from Julie written on purple scented paper in purple envelopes, much to the amusement of my shipmates. We were due to sail on exercise before calling into Adelaide for Christmas and New Year, 1975.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="315" height="315" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/33198/wedding.jpg" alt="Wedding (1)"/></p> <p>We spoke to each other by telephone constantly. We began to realise there was something very special and we thought it would be lovely for us to spend Christmas together in Adelaide. I met Julie at Adelaide Airport and when we saw each other we knew where our future was heading. We had such an intimate time in Adelaide and I knew I wanted us to be together, I knew I wanted to be with Julie. I was extremely happy and very much in love. I wanted to keep her so much so that I proposed to Julie on Christmas Day. She burst into tears and said yes and this is where our journey began.</p> <p>During the coming months, we carried on writing and I was hoping to transfer to the Royal Australian Navy. Over the next few months for family and military reasons we were unable to be together. We were devastated by this and sadly lost touch.</p> <p>I never stopped thinking of my sweetheart but went on to marry. I had photos of Julie which I kept close to my heart and hoped that one day we would meet again. As the years went by and computers and social media came along, I started my search. I learnt how to use the internet and Facebook. It became my wish to contact Julie again.</p> <p>I wrote to newspapers in Perth to try and find her but had no success. Over the coming years, I contacted on social media every Julie Penfold in Western Australia. I had no response but in February, 2015, and purely by accident, I saw a Julie Penfold that for some reason caught my eye.</p> <p>It was not my Julie but amazingly it was, in fact her sister-in-law who was also called Julie Penfold. Julie didn't know me but found out her husband, Mark, was in fact my Julie's brother. The jigsaw was coming together and I only had one piece left.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="375" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/33199/family_500x375.jpg" alt="Family"/></p> <p>One day I was out in my garden when my mobile phone rang. I didn't recognise the number but I answered. A lady said hello. I could not believe it, I instantly knew it was Julie. My jigsaw was complete. I couldn't believe that after all this time I had managed to contact my love. We spoke on the phone several times a day for a few months. Each time we spoke our love grew stronger and we decided we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. On the 31 May, 2015, I left the UK and flew to Perth to be with Julie.</p> <p>Since I have been here I have become part of a new family who I love dearly and have been accepted me 100 per cent. We have travelled around WA and been to Bali and Singapore on holiday. We are now going to spend the rest of our lives together.</p> <p><em><strong>Do you have an inspiring story to share? We’d love to hear it. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/community/contributor/community-contributor/">Head over to Over60’s Share your story page today</a>.</span> You never know, your story might just be the inspiration someone needs. </strong></em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/2017/01/over-70s-share-their-love-life-advice/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Over 70s share their love life advice</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/2016/12/advice-i-wish-i-could-give-my-20-year-old-self-about-love/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Advice I wish I could give my 20-year-old self about love</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/2016/12/over60-community-share-their-beautiful-proposal-stories/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Over60 community share their beautiful proposal stories</strong></em></span></a></p>

Relationships

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84-year-old grandma marries high school sweetheart after 50 years apart

<p>An 84-year-old grandmother in the US has proven it’s never too late for love.</p> <p>At Phyllis Opper’s 50th high school reunion in Massachusetts, she reconnected with her old high-school classmate Nate Workman, 85.  It didn’t take long before the pair fell in love and decided to get married.</p> <p>Phyllis’ granddaughter, Lindsay, 27, shared the heartwarming story of the lovebirds’ reunion on the Today show in the US.</p> <p><img width="479" height="270" src="http://media3.s-nbcnews.com/j/newscms/2016_07/978841/ehas-phillys-160218-04_eca130600b2ef8d90f32f07cf85b8ac7.today-inline-large2x.jpg" alt="84-year-old couple marry" class="j-entry-img" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>According to Today, after the school reunion the pair began exchanging emails which soon developed into a relationship. Lindsay revealed her grandma had “a case of the schoolgirl giggles.” Then last November at Lindsay’s boyfriend’s birthday dinner the pair announced they were going to get married. Three weeks later, Grandma Phyllis walked down the aisle.</p> <p>“I didn't think it was possible for my grandmother to become even more beautiful, but Nate has cast the most magnificent light that shines through her smile and sparkles in her eyes,” said Lindsay, adding, “As a teenager, I learned that it’s never too late for love.”</p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/2015/12/famous-quotes-about-marriage/">13 famous quotes about marriage</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/2015/12/soulpancake-what-is-love-video/">People aged 0 to 100 define what is love</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/2016/01/how-to-make-love-last/">The secret to make love last</a></em></strong></span></p>

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Mature 5-year-old struggles with breaking up with kindy sweetheart

<p>Five-year-old Quinn Heffernan is talking to her mother Sloane about a break up.</p> <p>Quinn wants to break things off with her kindy sweetheart, but doesn’t know what to do.</p> <p>“He's sweet and romantic, but I think I'm too young to have a boyfriend,” she says. “But, it's like, he looks so happy, and it's just... I don't wanna break his heart.”</p> <p>Quinn shows remarkable maturity when discussing such a sensitive topic, and we’re surprised her mother was able to keep it together.</p> <p>Watch Quinn come to terms with this breakup in the video above.</p> <p><em>Video credit: Facebook / Sloane Heffernan</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2016/02/croc-hunter-snares-second-biggest-crocodile-ever-caught-in-australia/">NT croc hunter snares second biggest crocodile ever caught in Australia</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2016/02/emu-cools-down-under-a-sprinkler/">Emu cools down under a sprinkler</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2016/02/fingerless-pianist-impressive-piano-skills/" target="_blank">Fingerless pianist shows off impressive piano skills</a></strong></em></span></p>

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Mature 5-year-old struggles with breaking up with kindy sweetheart

<p>Five-year-old Quinn Heffernan is talking to her mother Sloane about a break up.</p> <p>Quinn wants to break things off with her kindy sweetheart, but doesn’t know what to do.</p> <p>“He's sweet and romantic, but I think I'm too young to have a boyfriend,” she says. “But, it's like, he looks so happy, and it's just... I don't wanna break his heart.”</p> <p>Quinn shows remarkable maturity when discussing such a sensitive topic, and we’re surprised her mother was able to keep it together.</p> <p>Watch Quinn come to terms with this breakup in the video above.</p> <p><em>Video credit: Facebook / Sloane Heffernan</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2016/02/croc-hunter-snares-second-biggest-crocodile-ever-caught-in-australia/">NT croc hunter snares second biggest crocodile ever caught in Australia</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2016/02/emu-cools-down-under-a-sprinkler/">Emu cools down under a sprinkler</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2016/02/fingerless-pianist-impressive-piano-skills/" target="_blank">Fingerless pianist shows off impressive piano skills</a></strong></em></span></p>

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Married 54 years, this couple share their unique love story

<p>Meet Jim and Ida, who’ve been married for 54 years. As part of SoulPancake’s “The Marriage Project”, they share their beautiful love story in this charmingly illustrated video. Their story began with a blind date and a lukewarm courtship, but soon blossomed into a beautiful marriage. But as the old adage proves, opposites certainly attract – at least for Jim and Ida.</p> <p>“We couldn’t have been more opposite so I guess that was part of [what drew me to Ida]” recalls Jim.</p> <p>Ida agrees, “We used to argue about everything. Whatever he said, I said the opposite.” </p> <p>But with 54 years of marriage under their belt, they both agree it helped, not hindered, their relationship.</p> <p>“You’re not going to grow if someone doesn’t give you a little bit of a challenge once in a while. We learnt throughout the years not to let things upset us,” Ida says.</p> <p>“It isn’t easy but once you figure it out everything is okay,” Jim says.</p> <p>“Just turn up the TV a little louder,” quips Ida with a laugh.</p> <p>As so very evident in the video above, the way these two lovebirds talk about one another, with the other frequently interjecting, is just so heart-warming to see 54 years after they wed. What a lovely couple!</p> <p><em><strong>Looking for love – or perhaps you just want to meet some new people? <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/clk/300422191;127409031;k">Why not sign up at RSVP today by clicking here… You never know who is just around the corner.</a></span></strong></em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/2016/01/words-about-love-that-dont-have-english-equivalent/">12 words about love that don’t have an English equivalent</a></span></strong></em></p> <p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/2015/12/famous-quotes-about-marriage/">13 famous quotes about marriage</a></span></strong></em></p> <p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/2016/01/science-behind-couples-who-die-together/">There’s a science behind couple that die close together</a></span></strong></em></p>

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Childhood sweethearts celebrate 70 years of marriage

<p>After more than seven decades together, Nelson couple Gilbert and Joan Mackie know a thing or two about what makes a happy marriage.</p> <p>The couple recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary and the lounge in their villa at Summerset in the Sun retirement village in Stoke is filled with cards and flowers from friends and family. The first to arrive was a card from the Queen, congratulating them on reaching the milestone of 70 years of marriage.</p> <p>Gilbert and Joan, aged 94 and 90, agree their success comes down to hard work and being dedicated to each other.</p> <p>"We just got married, had children and worked, that was it," Joan said. "It is quite an achievement when I stop and think about it."</p> <p>"She was my sweetheart then and she is still my sweetheart, it hasn't changed" Gilbert said.</p> <p>He was working as a farmer in French Pass and Joan was living with her family in Admiralty Bay when their paths first crossed.</p> <p>Gilbert said he was a very shy young lad when he met Joan on November 16, 1940 at a dance at the local hall. Several months passed before he saw her again when she returned to French Pass to work as a postmistress.</p> <p>"She was only a young chick of about 15 or something then and I was only 18," Gilbert said.</p> <p>Almost three years to the day they first met, the couple became engaged.</p> <p>Gilbert said in those days you had to get permission, so he wrote a letter to Joan's father asking for her hand in marriage.</p> <p>"I wrote a letter that I thought was good and I said [to Joan] you better read that," Gilbert said.</p> <p>"She reached for a pen and wrote on the bottom, 'Dad, you had better say yes, Joan', so I not only got one hand, I got two."</p> <p>The couple were married on November 3, 1945 in Blenheim.</p> <p>In the early days they lived on Kenny Isle, in the outer Pelorus Sound where Gilbert worked on a 6000 acre farm with nearly 10,000 sheep and 450 cattle and Joan took on the job of cooking in the cookhouse.</p> <p>There was no electricity and during the shearing season, Joan would be up long before the crack of dawn to light the woodstove and get the water hot enough for the cups of tea and food for the 22 shearers.</p> <p>With hills too steep to farm with horses, Gilbert would also be awake in the early hours, up the hill with the dogs at the break of day ready to muster.</p> <p>"That was only a tiny bit of our lives, a tiny bit, the first five years say," Joan said.</p> <p>They went on to have two daughters and a son, who Joan taught via correspondence before they moved into Blenheim so the kids could attend school.</p> <p>Gilbert's work farming then took them to Parnassus in North Canterbury and onto Dorie, near Ashburton for 10 years.</p> <p>Once the kids had they left home they made the decision to come back to Nelson to be amongst family.</p> <p>"I thought I'd had enough of farming, and farming in Nelson is totally different from where we had been," Gilbert said.</p> <p>So he bought a taxi license and drove a taxi for 12 years in Nelson where he met "oodles of people".</p> <p>The couple then retired and bought a house in the Mahau Sounds, just out of Havelock.</p> <p>Having lived in different places throughout the country, Gilbert said Joan had been the backbone in their life and did a lot of the hard work behind the scenes.</p> <p>"Everything landed on her, all the cooking and going to different farms, having to look after and care for our children as they grew up, she was there for everything," Gilbert said.</p> <p>The couple have five grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren spread throughout New Zealand and Australia who gathered in Nelson for the anniversary celebrations.</p> <p>"We have been really blessed," Joan said. "We are very pleased and proud of them."</p> <p>There were no secrets to a long and happy marriage but hard work was important, Joan said.</p> <p>"The thing is we have been together so long, each one relies on the other," Gilbert said.</p> <p>"Be dedicated to one another."</p> <p>"And learn from each other," Joan said.</p> <p>Written by Samantha Gee. First Appeared on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a></strong></span>.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2015/12/famous-quotes-about-marriage/">13 famous quotes about marriage</a></span></strong></em></p> <p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2015/12/soulpancake-what-is-love-video/">People aged 0 to 100 define what is love</a></span></strong></em></p> <p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2016/01/science-behind-couples-who-die-together/">There’s a science behind couple that die close together</a></span></strong></em></p>

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Childhood sweethearts celebrate 70 years of marriage

<p>After more than seven decades together, Nelson couple Gilbert and Joan Mackie know a thing or two about what makes a happy marriage.</p> <p>The couple recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary and the lounge in their villa at Summerset in the Sun retirement village in Stoke is filled with cards and flowers from friends and family. The first to arrive was a card from the Queen, congratulating them on reaching the milestone of 70 years of marriage.</p> <p>Gilbert and Joan, aged 94 and 90, agree their success comes down to hard work and being dedicated to each other.</p> <p>"We just got married, had children and worked, that was it," Joan said. "It is quite an achievement when I stop and think about it."</p> <p>"She was my sweetheart then and she is still my sweetheart, it hasn't changed" Gilbert said.</p> <p><img width="497" height="280" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/11486/old-couple-married_497x280.jpg" alt="Old Couple Married (1)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>He was working as a farmer in French Pass and Joan was living with her family in Admiralty Bay when their paths first crossed.</p> <p>Gilbert said he was a very shy young lad when he met Joan on November 16, 1940 at a dance at the local hall. Several months passed before he saw her again when she returned to French Pass to work as a postmistress.</p> <p>"She was only a young chick of about 15 or something then and I was only 18," Gilbert said.</p> <p>Almost three years to the day they first met, the couple became engaged. </p> <p>Gilbert said in those days you had to get permission, so he wrote a letter to Joan's father asking for her hand in marriage.</p> <p>"I wrote a letter that I thought was good and I said [to Joan] you better read that," Gilbert said. </p> <p>"She reached for a pen and wrote on the bottom, 'Dad, you had better say yes, Joan', so I not only got one hand, I got two."</p> <p>The couple were married on November 3, 1945 in Blenheim. </p> <p>In the early days they lived on Kenny Isle, in the outer Pelorus Sound where Gilbert worked on a 6000 acre farm with nearly 10,000 sheep and 450 cattle and Joan took on the job of cooking in the cookhouse.</p> <p>There was no electricity and during the shearing season, Joan would be up long before the crack of dawn to light the woodstove and get the water hot enough for the cups of tea and food for the 22 shearers. </p> <p>With hills too steep to farm with horses, Gilbert would also be awake in the early hours, up the hill with the dogs at the break of day ready to muster.</p> <p>"That was only a tiny bit of our lives, a tiny bit, the first five years say," Joan said.</p> <p>They went on to have two daughters and a son, who Joan taught via correspondence before they moved into Blenheim so the kids could attend school.</p> <p>Gilbert's work farming then took them to Parnassus in North Canterbury and onto Dorie, near Ashburton for 10 years.</p> <p>Once the kids had they left home they made the decision to come back to Nelson to be amongst family.</p> <p>"I thought I'd had enough of farming, and farming in Nelson is totally different from where we had been," Gilbert said.</p> <p>So he bought a taxi license and drove a taxi for 12 years in Nelson where he met "oodles of people".</p> <p>The couple then retired and bought a house in the Mahau Sounds, just out of Havelock.</p> <p>Having lived in different places throughout the country, Gilbert said Joan had been the backbone in their life and did a lot of the hard work behind the scenes.</p> <p>"Everything landed on her, all the cooking and going to different farms, having to look after and care for our children as they grew up, she was there for everything," Gilbert said.</p> <p>The couple have five grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren spread throughout New Zealand and Australia who gathered in Nelson for the anniversary celebrations.</p> <p>"We have been really blessed," Joan said. "We are very pleased and proud of them."</p> <p>There were no secrets to a long and happy marriage but hard work was important, Joan said.</p> <p>"The thing is we have been together so long, each one relies on the other," Gilbert said.</p> <p>"Be dedicated to one another."</p> <p>"And learn from each other," Joan said.</p> <p>Written by Samantha Gee. First appeared on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a></strong></span>.</p> <p><em>Video &amp; image credit: Marion van Dijk</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:  </strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/2015/11/best-way-to-ask-someone-on-a-date/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The best way to ask someone on a date</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/2015/11/secrets-of-couples-who-stay-together-forever/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>14 secrets of couples who stay together forever</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/2015/11/rsvp-what-people-want-from-relationships/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>What people really want from relationships</strong></em></span></a></p>

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