Until Death Do Us Part – Once Upon a Time It Really Meant Something

OK, so you are talking with a fellow student and he insists that he, and his lady friend, have a long-established relationship, one that began in high school. You are both somewhat amazed that they are still an item, their relationship still going strong after three, four, maybe even five years.

The person makes it sound like an eternity and well, when we are still in our late teens or early twenties, four or five years is a long time. After all, it represents a full 20 to 25 percent of the time we have been in existence. Actually, since we can’t remember years one to four much at all, the time represents upwards of 35 percent of our life to date.

Of course, the older folks chuckle at our incredibly naive view. This past week it was easy to understand why.

Together Forever?

It was the kind of news that spread like internet virus. Touching and amazing all at the same time.

It seems that Britain’s current longest married couple recently came to the “death do us part” stage of their marriage. On September 1st, at the ripe old age of 101, Frank Milford of Plymouth went to meet his maker.

That meant his wife Anita was now on her own for the first time in 81 years.

Yep, 81 years.

According to the BBC, the couple met at a YMCA dance in Plymouth, Devon, in 1926. Two years later they took their vows.

The closest they likely came to being separated was during World War II. Again, according to the BBC, “during the Blitz they narrowly escaped two bombs, including one which fell on their house.”

The incredibly sweet couple acknowledged their secret – the Milfords’ insisted their marriage was one of “give and take” and a little time for some romance. They were still together in an assisted living center at the time of Frank’ death.

While one might be astonished by the incredible length of time the couple had been together, it seems they fell short of becoming the longest married couple in Britain. Mr. and Mrs. Milford would have had to spend another six months together, until February of 2010, to claim the longest British marriage ever, a mark held by Thomas and Elizabeth Morgan of Caerleon, South Wales, a total of 81 years and 60 days (Guinness World Records).