The bad things that happen in the world tend to stick in our minds a little more than the good stuff, which is unfortunate, because a lot of wonderful things happened in 2009. Even more heartwarming than stories about young people falling in love are ones about older people who are still in love or reunited with a childhood crush. There’s something really special about seniors who feel affectionate about their partner after all those years (and those who found love later in life), so we compiled six of the best old people love stories of the past year to warm your heart.
• Bill and Mabel Griffin of Australia, who celebrated their 72nd anniversary in September, met at a local dance. “I thought she’s a good looking little sort over there so I’ll go and ask her for a dance,” he said. And, he divulged that they still like to kiss and cuddle: “Sure that never stops, that’s an ongoing thing in life.
• Carol Bitner and Bill Caputi, both in their 60s, got married after finishing a three-day, 60-mile breast cancer walk together. They met a year earlier when Carol, a breast cancer survivor, was training for the 2008 breast cancer walk. Bill began accompanying her during her training, and she said the five to 15 mile treks helped them get to know one another.
• Rowland Fellows, 84, and Beth Ashley, 83 met as kids when their families both vacationed in Five Islands, ME, one summer. Beth had a crush on Rowland, but he thought of her as a friend, and they went their own ways. Then, they reconnected nearly 70 years later and got married this summer.
• Much like Noah and Allie in “The Notebook,” Robert and Darlene Moser died six hours apart, not long after she had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. “He could not live without her,” the couple’s oldest daughter said. They were even buried in the same coffin.
• Woody and Audrey Woodman, both 89, met at a UC-Berkley mixer. Woody described his future wife as “a cute little gal in a green plaid skirt and white flats.” The two eloped to Nevada in 1940 because at the time, men under 21 weren’t allowed to marry in California without parental consent. The two didn’t think their parents would want them to get married with so little money to their names, so they kept it a secret for a year. As for how they made their marriage work for 69 years, Audrey said, “We make the best of everything, and Woody doesn’t have a negative bone in his body.”
• Frank and Anita Milford celebrated their 81st wedding anniversary this year and will beat the record for the longest British marriage at the beginning of next year. “To win over your sweetheart you need a dose of old-fashioned chivalry and don’t let your standards slip,” Frank said.
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