A Couple Married for 80 Years

[sox 06]

This is amazing, and I'm from Maine so I thought I'd post it

LUBEC, Maine (AP) - Kathleen Tarbell "fell head over my stomach" for her husband Waldo when they met at a dance. They married in 1927, during Calvin Coolidge's presidency. This weekend, they'll celebrate their 80th anniversary.

Waldo is 101 and Kathleen will turn 100 in June. The anniversary party will be Saturday afternoon at Oceanview Nursing Home, where the couple shares a large room.

Maine's Office of Vital Records could not immediately determine if the Tarbells' marriage is the longest in the state. The 2007 Guinness Book of World Records lists a Rhode Island couple wed for 83 years as having the longest marriage among living people.

Kathleen, a native of Pembroke, moved to Waldo's hometown of Meddybemps after they married. Two years later, they moved to Pembroke, where their two children, Helen Brown and Elliot Tarbell, were born.

Waldo and Kathleen lived in their home in Pembroke until a few weeks ago.

"I had to go to the hospital to have some X-rays taken. My back was killing me," Kathleen told the Bangor Daily News. After she was hospitalized, Waldo was moved to the nursing home and she later joined him.

For 37 years, Waldo worked for Maine Central Railroad, at a starting wage of 37 cents an hour. After their children were raised, Kathleen worked for 32 years as a "herring choker and wrapper" at sardine factories.

"Sometimes it'd be 10 o'clock at night before we'd get done. We'd go into work at eight in the morning. By the time we got home and got turned over in bed it was time to get up again," she recalled.

Kathleen has been a Democrat her entire adult life. Waldo, originally a Republican, turned Democrat. "She converted me," he said.

They remain up to speed on current events. Kathleen reads the newspaper every day, and she thinks the war in Iraq is "scandalous."

"Somebody ought to take Bush and wring his neck, and I might be the one to do it," she said with a sparkle in her eye.

[SeaWolf]

I wish this was more common than divorce.

[sox 06]

Its hard to believe that some people can't make it for a month and yet these people have been married for 80 years.

[joelamosobadiah]

That's an awesome story.

[Twisted Sister]

Thier kids must be almost 80

Reminds me of the Sienfield episode... "IT'S GO TIME"

[sammyj1404]

I wish this was more common than divorce.

same here, its unbelievable how people can get sick of their spouse within a few years, yet these people last for 80 years. i really hope i can have a marriage like that

[The_Captain]

I love stories like these and they should be an example of how long marriages can last with the hard work they require.

My wife and I are celebrating our 11th year anniversary today and this was a great story to read.

[BlueBandit24]

I love stories like these and they should be an example of how long marriages can last with the hard work they require.

My wife and I are celebrating our 11th year anniversary today and this was a great story to read.

Congrats Cap!

It is nice to see these type of stories after you see so many marriages fail. Hopefully this becomes more of the norm.

[The_Captain]

I love stories like these and they should be an example of how long marriages can last with the hard work they require.

My wife and I are celebrating our 11th year anniversary today and this was a great story to read.

Congrats Cap!

It is nice to see these type of stories after you see so many marriages fail. Hopefully this becomes more of the norm.

Thanks BB - I hope this becomes more of the norm too, but with it so easy to get divorced these days and watching celebrities bounce from one marriage to the next, I doubt we'll ever see this type of longevity become commonplace.

[Dr. Duran Duran]

I just celebrated my one year wedding anniversary this past weekend. The day of, I turned to my wife and joked that we'd already lasted longer than the average Hollywood marriage. As much as I was joking, it's a bit of a scary thought. In this day, people just don't take marriage seriously anymore. Nice to see some people still consider it a lifelong union.