What’s their secret? African-American Christian couple marks 82 years of marriage
Article By Denise Chandler // EEW Magazine // Love & Marriage
An African-American Christian couple in North Carolina is grabbing headlines around the globe as they mark 82 years of marriage and milestone birthdays.
D.W. Williams, 103, and Willie Williams, 100, have divulged details on their winning marital strategy—and you may just be shocked by how simple and straightforward it is.
“The secret to a long marriage is just be nice to each other,” they said—and also spend time together, and find pleasure in the simple things.
“We like to watch country westerns like ‘Gunsmoke’ and ‘Bonanza,’ and play crossword puzzles together,” they said. And even when they don’t see eye-to-eye, explosive arguments are a no-no.
"We don’t argue or have any fights. If we have a misunderstanding, we just talk it over,” they explained.
The Williams’ no-argument policy has worked for more than 80 years of marital bliss (Credit: GMA)
Clearly, their method is working and even earned the Williams North Carolina’s contest for the longest married couple in 2014.
The inspiring pair that met in Newberry, South Carolina, in 1935 and wed in 1937, have one daughter, Alice Erin, and one granddaughter, BJ Williams-Greene.
The Williams, whose birthdays are only seven days apart, were recently celebrated by family members. Their daughter and granddaughter gathered over 100 people together for a grand old party at the First Mayfield Memorial Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC, where the Christian couple have been members for 19 years.
“The celebration was a wonderful experience. It’s a pleasure to see history come together with these two people and to learn from them. I’m very proud of them,” D.K. Ferguson, the couple’s pastor, said.
“My grandparents' marriage is an inspiration. They communicate and make decisions together, they strive and achieve together and everyone loves them because they are genuine. They just inspire everyone to be the best they can be,” said Williams-Greene.
“They have had such a long, successful marriage because they put God first and are each other’s best friends,” their proud granddaughter added.
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