You’ve heard of a silver wedding anniversary, that’s twenty-five years and a golden one, fifty.
What do you call eighty years of marriage? KATC’s Abby Breidenbach introducing us to one couple who can tell you.
“That’s a long time ago, a long time ago.”
81 years ago in 1937, that’s when Gladys met Wallace Menard.
“In a dance hall near Lafayette and Abbeville,” Wallace says.
“Mike’s, Mike’s dance hall,” Gladys Menard adds.
The two lovebirds fell hard and they fell fast. Neither can put a finger on what it was about the other, but less than a year passed before they decided to spend forever together.
“I guess I loved him,” Menard says. “Why’d you marry me?”
“Why? I was in love with you,” Wallace responds.
Passed down to three children, eight grandchildren, eleven great, and 17 great great grandchildren. The love the two shares has beat the test of time.
“It’s a long life,” Wallace Menard says.
Time is not all they’ve been up against. The couple lost a baby, Wallace was drafted, their home flooded and was struck by a tornado. None of this shook the Menards.
“Ya, we had each other,” Gladys says.
Aside from marrying young at just 19 for Wallace and 16 for Gladys, the couple agreed on a few pieces of advice for a long life together.
“You have to take the bad and the good,” Gladys explains.
“When she needed me I was there, when I needed her, she was there,” Wallace adds.
No matter how old you get, keep the romance alive.
