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This spring, John and Ann Betar became America’s longest married couple. On Monday, the Connecticut lovebirds celebrate an incredible milestone: Eighty-one years of marriage! Longest Married Couple Seriously. The pair eloped in Harrison, N.Y. on November 25, 1932. He was 21, she was just 17. Ann told Reuters that the eloped because of their age difference: “[We] had no choice but to elope because my father was set on me marrying a much older man, and I was 17,” the 98-year-old adds of her 102-year-old spouse. “John was not the boy next door, but the boy across the street who I loved.” John added that the nuptials caused quite a stir among their families. “Everyone was hopping mad, and my wife’s aunt even consoled my father-in-law by telling him not to worry, the marriage won’t last,” he recalls. How wrong they were, to say the absolute least. Did it last! The Betars have been together for eight decades and had five kids (two are deceased). The duo also have 14 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. “We have watched the world change together,” John said. His secret? “The key is to always agree with your wife.” In April, Victoria Wrubel, who was married to her husband Steven Wrubel for 83 years, died, ending what was believed to be the U.S.’s longest marriage. According to the Associated Press, the Betars’ title hasn’t been officially confirmed, but is believed to be accurate. They’re in some rarefied air, either way! Pretty inspirational and impressive, and they’re awfully sweet together to boot. Congratulations to the couple and best wishes for continued good health.

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John and Ann Betar, America’s Longest Married Couple, Marks 81st Anniversary!