A couple from St. Petersburg, Florida is celebrating 80 years of marriage this week.
The 80th wedding anniversary is traditionally known as the year of the oak which symbolizes strength and longevity.
The Johnsons met in high school and grew up in a small town called Sebring, Ohio.
Raymond says that after a barbeque and grilling up some hotdogs, Raymond was tied to Mary ever since.
“I asked Mary to marry me, and she finally said yes,” said Raymond.
The couple married while Raymond was in the service and it wasn’t a large ceremony.
“Big weddings don’t mean nothing if you don’t love each other,” he said.
Raymond was then drafted during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Mary was a Rosie the Riveter. Raymond returned home to his wife less than three years later.
They said the secret to a long marriage is saying, “I love you,” and meaning it every morning and night.
“And, every night, he says I love you,” she said.
“And every morning when you wake up, we do the same thing,” he said.
The couple also said they never had a big argument. Mary was an inspector with General Electric and Raymond worked at the U.S. Post Office.
They lived in California briefly, and when they retired, they moved to St. Pete, where they have been for the past 37 years.
“We’ve been very blessed, very fortunate, and we’ve been blessed with good health, and we’ve had each other,” said Mary.
Source: WFLA