Let marriage be held in honor among all… – Hebrews 13:4
With divorce rates that hover around 50%, it’s sometimes easy for us to be cynical about love and lifelong commitment. But with man and woman “becoming one flesh,” it’s also heartbreaking to think that these deep, intimate relationships can end in something more akin to amputation than just walking away. Amidst this pain, it’s nice to see and know that love can still hold fast through all the trials. These four couples are testament to lasting commitment and reflect the amazing love of God for us.
Bill and Glad Are Still Prince and Princess
Bill and Glad first met as children, and it would be perfectly reasonable to call their story cliche. Glad’s older brother was a good friend of Bill’s, and the younger sister developed a crush on Bill who was quite content to ignore her. But one day when he looked, he saw not just the little sister, but a beautiful young woman, and he was smitten. After over 40 years of marriage, Bill noticed slipping cognitive capabilities that belied Glad’s struggle with Alzheimer’s. Now, Bill “count[s] it a great privilege to care for this woman that [he’s] loved for all these years and continue[s] to love,” as he meets her daily needs – feeding, bathing, traveling – with his daily commitment.
Frances and Marlow Light Up a Hospital Atrium
Married for sixty-two years, Frances and Marlow Cowan hadn’t been to see a doctor in some time. When Frances learned that modern medicine recommend regular physicals, he called up the famed Mayo Clinic and asked for “the works.” Little did he know that instead of the one or two days the couple expected to spend at the facility would in fact be about ten days of tests and consultations. Frances and Marlow were healthy and well, but the musical duo really hit their fame when a viral on YouTube, bringing joy to thousands beyond the atrium where they performed. Their story is broader than that, as Frances says: “God gave us all talents…and we’ll do whatever we can to make others’ lives more enjoyable, but when we do it, we feel that we’re praising the Lord.”
Mel and Joey Are a Perfect Match
Mel and Joey Schwanke are the third in five generations of florists. The family business continues to serve the Fremont, Nebraska area, but it’s not the flowers of Green’s Greenhouses that draw all the attention at the business. The elderly couple – married for 65 years – also have 146 coordinated outfits, ties for Mel that are pattern-matched to Joey’s dresses, carefully coordinated with suits. It started, says Mel, about 35 years ago, and some old pictures of the pair in matching sweaters bear this out. Between working together and the outfits, Mel and Joey are truly partners that “survive on attention.”
Gordon and Norma Ignore “‘Til Death Do Us Part”
For seventy years, Gordon and Norma Yeager were constantly together. According to their son, they fought occasionally – as all couples do – but truly enjoyed each other’s company. Gordon and Norma would say that the one couldn’t go until the other did – almost as if they knew. It was for this reason that their children always wondered how one would live without the other when the time came. So when the two were in a car accident, it was a profound beauty and an awesome testament of their love that they passed away holding hands.