Jump to content
NEW ADDRESS FOR MEMBERS GREYFORUMS.ORG ×
NEW ADDRESS FOR MEMBERS GREYFORUMS.ORG

TRUE, TRUE LOVE Forever


Dave007

Recommended Posts

Ohio couple married 70 years die 15 hours apart

 

_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg AP Photo: Felumlee family

In this September 1941 photo provided by Dick Felumlee, Kenneth and Helen Felumlee pose for a photo nearly three years before their marriage in February 1944.

_h17_w0_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg 2 hr ago By Associated Press share

8.2k

 

tweet

137

 

email

 

 

NASHPORT, Ohio (AP) — A couple who held hands at breakfast every morning even after 70 years of marriage have died 15 hours apart.

Helen Felumlee, of Nashport, died at 92 on April 12. Her husband, 91-year-old Kenneth Felumlee, died the next morning.

The couple's eight children say the two had been inseparable since meeting as teenagers, once sharing the bottom of a bunk bed on a ferry rather than sleeping one night apart, the Zanesville Times Recorder reported (http://ohne.ws/1in7erG).

They remained deeply in love until the very end, even eating breakfast together while holding hands, said their daughter, Linda Cody.

"We knew when one went, the other was going to go," she said.

_h0_w295_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpgAP Photo: Felumlee family

In this September 1940 photo provided by Dick Felumlee, Kenneth and Helen Felumlee of Nashport in central Ohio are shown sitting on a log north of Zanesville about four years before their marriage.

 

According to Cody, about 12 hours after Helen died, Kenneth looked at his children and said, "Mom's dead."

He quickly began to fade and was surrounded by 24 of his closest family members and friends when he died the next morning.

"He was ready," Cody said. "He just didn't want to leave her here by herself."

The pair had known each other for several years when they eloped in Newport, Ky., across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, on Feb. 20, 1944. At two days shy of his 21st birthday, Kenneth was too young to marry in Ohio.

"He couldn't wait," son Jim Felumlee said.

Kenneth worked as a railroad car inspector and mechanic before becoming a mail carrier for the Nashport Post Office. He was active in his Nashport-Irville United Methodist Church as a Sunday school teacher.

Helen stayed at home, not only cooking and cleaning for her own family but also for other families in need in the area. She taught Sunday school, too, but was known more for her greeting card ministry, sending cards for birthdays, sympathy and the holidays to everyone in her community, each with a personal note inside.

"She kept Hallmark in business," daughter-in-law Debbie Felumlee joked.

When Kenneth retired in 1983 and the children began to leave the house, the Felumlees began to explore their love of travel, visiting almost all 50 states by bus.

"He didn't want to fly anywhere because you couldn't see anything as you were going," Jim Felumlee said.

Although both experienced declining health in recent years, Cody said, each tried to stay strong for the other.

"That's what kept them going," she said.

_h0_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpgAP Photo: Dick Felumlee

In this Dec. 29, 2012, photo provided by Dick Felumlee, Kenneth and Helen Felumlee, seated, of Nashport, Ohio., in central Ohio pose for a photo with their eight children. The Felumlees, who celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in February, died 15 hours apart from each other last week.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...