Meet the World’s Longest-Married Couple
Lots of people are looking for the love of a lifetime this Valentine’s Day. John and Ann Betar have already found it.
The couple has been married 80 years, good enough to be named the longest married couple in the US by the Christian marriage organization Worldwide Marriage Encounter.
John, 101, and Ann, 97, tied the knot on November 25, 1932. And, boy, did they tie it tight.
Getting the award does not mean the couple has been married longer than anyone else in the US. Rather, the honor is given based on nominations Worldwide Marriage received.
The Betars will be recognized for their enduring romance when they receive a plaque and other goodies at their granddaughter’s home in Fairfield, CT this weekend.
How has the couple managed to stay the course for so long? John said, “We just live with contentment and we don’t live beyond our means. Just go with the flow.”
It’s hard to believe now, but they almost didn’t end up walking down the aisle together at all. Ann’s father had arranged a marriage to another man, but she defied him and eloped to New York with John. The rest, as they say, is history. The couple went on to have five kids, 14 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
Not to mention countless people amazed at their love story.