If You Want to Stay Married for 75 Years, Do What This Couple Did

Love 1
Love 1


A couple in Los Angeles prove romance hasn't diminished in the 21st century, celebrating their 75th wedding anniversary this week.

In 1938, Morrie Markoff, 99, met his future wife Betty, 97, and the two have never looked back. L.A. Downtown News reports that the couple married the same year, and now, with two children, five grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren, they couldn't be happier.

Here are some lessons about love from the Markoffs' seven-plus decades together:

1.) When Betty first met Morrie, her friend Dorothy told her he was not the "marrying kind," and she was only getting her "hopes up."

Lesson Learned: Obviously, don't listen to Dorothy. Furthermore, you shouldn't base your decisions on other people's opinions, rather what you feel is right for you.

2.) Betty and Morrie met at Betty's cousin's wedding. Morrie was in town for the event, and seated at dinner between Betty and another beautiful woman named Rosa. Though Rosa was wealthy and well educated, Morrie jokes he chose Betty because she "ate less." Betty does not approve of this comment.

Lesson Learned: First off, weddings are still great places to meet people, so start cozying up to your friends who are engaged. Second, avoid weight jokes. Lastly, Rosa might still be available!

Love 2
Love 2

3.) It took Morrie 10 months of writing letters before Betty finally agreed to marry him.

Lesson Learned: Better start getting concise with those texts.

4.) Morrie doesn't like to be "fancy," and he and Betty often get lunch at the Department of Water and Power cafeteria.

Lesson Learned: Extravagance isn't always necessary for contentment. Also, time to explore the perks of utilities. We're planning to get coffee at The Gas Company tomorrow.

Love 3
Love 3

5.) Betty cooks "the way she was taught in high school: a protein, a starch, a vegetable and a salad."

Lesson Learned: We knew there was a reason for Home-Ec besides eating cake: a little bit of everything is the way to go.

6.) The Markoffs live in Los Angeles, and take the bus around town. They walk together daily, and in the past, they trekked 3.2 miles almost every morning for four decades.

Lesson Learned: You CAN be a pedestrian in L.A.! Exercise serves the heart, mind and body.

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Love 4

7.) Betty says love can be difficult and that when things get rough, people today tend to give up too quickly.

Lesson Learned: Hold off at least a couple days before you change your relationship status on Facebook.

8.) Betty and Morrie have travelled around the world, all documented in thousands of photographs shot by Morrie.

Lesson Learned: Instagram everything!

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Love 5

9.) The Markoffs' son Steve says his parents are "honest to a fault, and completely stubborn."

Lesson Learned: If you want the house kept at a certain temperature, don't back down. A little arguing makes life interesting.

10.) Betty believes the key to love is listening. "You have to speak each other's language," she says.

Lesson Learned: Always remember before you respond that autocorrect could have come into play.

Love 6
Love 6