The inspiring story of the couple who held hands over breakfast every day.

This couple’s amazing love story is exactly what we all need to hear these holidays.

When Helen and Kenneth met as teens, they just knew they were meant to be together. They were introduced by Kenneth’s ex-girlfriend when Helen was 19 and Kenneth was 18.

After three years of dating, they decided to elope.

Helen and Kenneth were so desperate to be married they lied to their parents, saying they were taking a day trip to Kentucky to visit Kenneth’s old basketball coach. Instead, they headed to the courthouse with only $5 between them, paid the $2 fee and were married on February 20, 1944.

Son Jim Felumlee explained his parent’s love story to the Zanesville Times Recorder , just days after the couple’s death in Nashport in central Ohio in the US. He says they were happy to be married but too nervous to tell their parents so when they returned, they lived apart for several weeks before Kenneth built up the courage to tell their families the news. We can imagine how nervous he would have been, especially telling Helen’s parents.

“I would have liked to have been there for that conversation,’ daughter Linda added.

Their families quickly accepted their marriage, thank goodness, and Helen quickly fell pregnant with the first of eight children.

Kenneth worked for the railroads as well as as a car inspector with a garage. His children recall him working long, brutal hours. On top of these two jobs he also taught Sunday school through the Nasport-Irville United Methodist Church and he was often called up to help people in his community at all hours of the day and night. He also assisted the local Board of Education and County School Board.

“Some days, he wouldn’t sleep,” Jim said.

Helen cared for their family as best she could and even helped local families in need, changing nappies for a neighbour's child, teaching Sunday school and assisting at the local church.

Once their children were grown, the couple started exploring their love of travel. They still assisted their local community, visiting nursing homes, however they took every chance they could to hop on a bus and visit a different state. They almost managed to visit all 50 US states before bad health put a stop to their adventures.

After 70 years of marriage Helen and Felumlee have now passed away, just 15 hours apart. Helen died on Saturday morning at the age of 92. Kenneth, 91, lasted just 15 hours before following her on Sunday morning. Their children always knew they would go like this.

Kenneth had been suffering ill health for years. He had his leg amputated almost 3 years ago due to circulation problems. Helen became ill shortly after but still cared for her husband up until three weeks before their deaths.

“She was so weak, she could hardly do it,” Linda recalls. “But she was still pushing his chair; she was still filling his water cup.”

The two spent every night together for 70 years, even holding hands over breakfast. About 12 hours after Helen died, Kenneth looked at his children and said, “Mom’s dead.” His healthy quickly deteriorated and he died on Sunday morning, surrounded by family and friends.

"We knew when one went, the other was going to go,” Linda told Zanesville Times Recorder. “We wanted them to go together, and they did.”

Stories of marriages like this are rare and so lovely to hear about, especially on family holidays like today. We hope Helen and Kenneth rest in peace, together.

What do you think is the key to living happily ever after?

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