Lasting love

Valentine’s Day | Five committed couples tell how God has preserved their marriages for more than half a century | Lynn Vincent

This Valentine’s Day, legions of sweethearts will shower each other with flowers, candy, and honeyed Hallmarks. But while flowers wilt and greeting cards fade, real love lasts. How? To find out, WORLD sought out experts: Five couples, each married for more than 50 years. Despite hardship, these couples have weathered lifetimes together, and combined they represent nearly three centuries of experience in what it takes to make a marriage last. Here are their love stories.

Herman & Mary Fiala

King of Kings Lutheran Church
Omaha, Neb
Married 53 years

 

People often ask Mary Fiala how long she and her husband Herman have been married. “54 years,” she’ll say, then add with mock anxiety: “Do you think it’s going to last?”