Arthur Cummings met Mary Allen at an organization picnic after which later went on a visit together with her household to Atlanta. That is all it took for the tiny spark between them to turn into a flame.
The couple fell in love and have been collectively ever since. They married on June 26, 1948, on the dwelling of Mary Allen’s mother and father in Spartanburg County.
Arthur, 99, and Mary Allen, 97, now dwell at White Oak Estates in Spartanburg, and nonetheless, have fond recollections of how they met and the day they obtained married.
“We’re simply fortunate,” Arthur mentioned when requested if there was a secret to having an extended and glad marriage. “We’ve got been blessed to have good well being and lucky.”
“Persistence,” Mary responded. “However we’re actually glad collectively.”
The couple lately was sitting beside one another of their retirement room as they checked out footage highlighting their years collectively. Their affection for one another continues to be robust. At instances, they held fingers and moved in shut to one another as they checked out some footage relationship again to once they had been married to latest pictures of them celebrating their 74th marriage ceremony anniversary.
Arthur mentioned they met on the Truthful Forest Ending Firm in Spartanburg County, and he knew she was the one. Their love for one another has solely deepened over the previous 74 years.
“She was working within the lab, and I used to be working as a trainee. We had a picnic and that is the place I met her,” Arthur Cummings mentioned. “I used to be relationship one other lady earlier than her.”
Arthur’s previous relationship did not final for much longer when Mary invited him on a visit to Atlanta.
“In dialog, I advised him that we had been going to Atlanta to see my brother. Arthur had mentioned he additionally had a brother in Atlanta,” Mary Cummings mentioned. “That was it. We went to Atlanta however by no means noticed the brother. Arthur stayed with us in Atlanta, rode again dwelling with us and we had been married ever since.”
When the couple married in 1948, Arthur was 25 and Mary was 23. Sadly, they’d an impediment to face throughout their engagement due to their totally different religions.
“I used to be a Catholic and he or she was a Methodist,” Arthur mentioned. “We went to the priest and the minister and each of them mentioned we weren’t going to work. Our marriage wasn’t going to make it.”
The glad couple proved them flawed and beat the chances. Collectively, the couple raised 5 youngsters and their household continues to develop with grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
“It was sizzling as hell,” Arthur mentioned relating to their marriage ceremony day. “We married at her mom and daddy’s home and it did not have any air con.”
Earlier than they retired, the couple loved taking part in golf. Arthur mentioned they performed on 100 totally different golf programs collectively. They might take many journeys to play golf, together with to Hawaii the place the programs had been coated with volcanic black lava rocks.
What is the secret to their marriage?
Their daughter, Nancy Humphries, mentioned she may sense the spark the couple shared with one another.
“You all the time knew that these two had been one another’s finest mates. They put one another first,” Humphries mentioned. “I’ve by no means seen them argue. I am positive they’ve argued behind closed doorways however I’ve by no means seen them increase their voice at one another.”
It is not simply household who can see the bond the couple has. Sharion Otey has been a buddy to the couple since 2014 and is even thought of a a part of the household.
“It is the love they’ve for one another,” Otey mentioned. “It does not matter the place they’re at, so long as they’re collectively.”
The bond the couple share is actually exceptional, and the couple acknowledges it. So what’s their secret for being married for 74 years?
“It’s a must to discover the proper girl,” Arthur mentioned. “And I discovered a great one.”
