She’s 105, He’s 107 - “World’s Oldest Living Couple” According To Guinness World Records Celebrates 8 Decades Of Marriage

Mar 05, 2020 by apost team

When a couple gets married, they are usually full of hope for a happy future life full of love, wonderful shared moments and experiences. Sometimes marriages fall apart and these dreams fade away. For John and Charlotte Henderson, however, marriage turned out to be all it was supposed to be. The couple from Texas was married on  August 28, 1939, and has been married for over 80 years now.

John and Charlotte met back in 1934, when they were both students at the University of Texas. Charlotte was studying to become a teacher and John was a member of the University's football team. They first saw each other in a lecture hall on campus - a moment John still remembers, as he mentioned during an interview with TODAY: 

"Charlotte looked over her shoulder and smiled and I knew I wanted to take her on a date," he told TODAY. "She was anxious for me to ask her!”

The couple dated for five years until they were married in Austin, Texas, in 1939 on December 15th. 

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The couple lived a happy and adventurous life. They traveled the world and went on a long range of vacations and cruises together. The couple never had any children, a decision they do not regret. However, old age has slowed them down a bit. As John put it during the interview: 

“In our ages, we’ve slowed down somewhat,” John Henderson explained. “We used to go on cruises, but now we have to take it easy. We like watching sports and talking about what we’re going to do tomorrow.”

The couple is still very much happy with each other and looking forward to spending more days with another. As their nephew, Jason Free, explained in an interview: 

“They don’t dwell on the past. You won’t hear them say, ‘Oh, if only it were 1952 again, everything would be great.’ They are still making plans for their future together.”

The couple has been living in Longhorn Village, a retirement community affiliated with the University of Texas, for a decade now. They still attend UT's football games when they can.

Their long marriage has even netted them an entry into the Guinnes Book of World records. Together, the couple has a combined age of 212 years and 80 years of marriage to look back upon. When asked for the secret to their longevity, they claim some exercise and a positive attitude is all it takes. Although John also adds: "But some people think it's because we never had kids!"

All the best wishes go out to the happy couple! Have you been married for a long time or know somebody who has been? Do you think you could manage this feat? Tell us your stories and thoughts and pass this story along to your friends!

Update (11th January 2021) John Henderson passes away (Published on 16.10.2020)