80 years of love: Alabama couple’s remarkable journey to a lasting marriage

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LOS ANGELES, Feb 11, (Agencies): A remarkable love story unfolds in Alabama as George and Louise Dennis celebrate an extraordinary milestone — eight decades of marriage! The couple, originally from Dothan, exchanged vows on Feb 4, 1944, after first crossing paths as teenagers, local news reports.

George vividly remembers the moment he first saw Louise while delivering a newspaper to her house at the age of 16. “There she was standing on that porch. That was one pretty sight, I’ll tell you. Gorgeous,” he reminisced.

Their love blossomed, leading them to make a bold decision to elope to Bonifay, Florida, without their parents’ consent. The surprising revelation upon their return led to a memorable reaction from Louise’s mother. “I said, ‘Well, we went off and got married.’ Oh, you could have heard her [Louise’s mother] scream clean from Dothan,” George humorously recalled.

Despite initial family interventions, they received the blessing of Louise’s father and embarked on a lifelong journey together. Now, after 80 years, George affirms that eloping with Louise was one of the wisest choices he ever made. “It was the best thing that happened to me when I met you,” he expressed to Louise.

Their early years together faced a significant test when George was drafted into World War II just months after their marriage. They vowed not to be separated again once the war concluded. George’s serious injury from a land mine in December 1944, resulting in the loss of part of his leg, marked a challenging period of surgeries and healing.

Enduring another hardship, the couple tragically lost their adopted daughter, Crystal, in a horse-related accident in 1952. Louise poignantly remarked, “You never, never get over the loss of a child.”

When asked about the secret to their enduring marriage, the couple, who jointly ran a rug business for over 40 years, attributed it to their faith and a key principle. George jokingly shared, “Tell the husband to say, ‘Yes, dear.’”

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