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Adolph and Lucy Velasquez from Kansas City were married 80 years ago. They met as neighbors, and over time they became friends. Adolph shared with KSHB, "Before you know, it didn’t take long before we fell in love. Just went ahead and got married."
It all sounds so simple! But perhaps that has been the key to their successful marriage that bore five children: The couple worked hard and loved hard. While the couple did have to go through some tricky times, such as Adolph being stationed abroad during WWII, Lucy had a ring engraved with her husband's portrait that she still wears today.
While family and friends gathered to celebrate the couple's very lengthy union, their son David shared his feelings about his parents reaching such an inspiring milestone. The strength of love has had a very inspiring effect on all the children:
“It’s just always been great, always been great parents. I know my brother and sister feel the same way I do. It’s been a blessing, and my prayers and their prayers, every night, every morning, for one of the greatest gifts they’ve given me, is the love of my mother and father."
As with many a loving child, as a little boy David was particularly anxious about losing his parents, as he explains:
"As a young kid lying in bed scared that they would be gone, and I had tears in my eyes thinking I’ve gotta go before they go. Oh boy, mom and pop, they are our lives."
And it seems these sentiments are shared by the family's younger generations. One of the granddaughters, Bridgette Velasquez, feels particularly connected to her grandmother, thanks to their joint love of sweet treats.
Whereas for Erica Macias, who helps care for her grandparents, she is particularly respectful of how religion has played an integral part to their lives, and that they're happy to share their faith:
“Coming over and actually helping my siblings take care of grandpa and grandma, sometimes more grandma than grandpa. When I’m over here talking to my aunt or whatever, every single time he says a prayer."
The Velasquezes, who are both in their nineties, are able to still live in their home of 60 years thanks to their younger generations coming in to take care of them. And their daughter-in-law Helen Velasquez shared a little more about the couple:
“Every morning my father-in-law will come in (Lucy’s bedroom), and he will lean over to give my mother-in-law a kiss and ask us if she is okay. We will tell him, 'Yep, we are taking care of her.' It’s just a blessing for them at this age to still be in their own home. That’s how we will always try to keep them here together.”
But if there are any pearls of wisdom that the couple can share, perhaps it is this very simple advice from Adolph:
"You have to get along with each other and compromise with each other, and that's all I can say."
