Couple Marries After Living Together 77 Years

Channel Oklahoma ^ | April 3, 2003 | AP

[ChemistCat]

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Zyness O'Haver and Sallie Warren decided to make it official and get married. Why not, after living together 77 years?

O'Haver, 95, and Warren, 94, were married Wednesday in a ceremony at the Oklahoma County courthouse. Three of the couple's four grandchildren were on hand to witness.

"I can't remember when I've married a more anxious bride," said Special Judge J. Fred Doak.

After the repeating of the vows and exchange of rings -- enlivened once when Warren prematurely answered the judge with "I sure do!" and a few times when she gave O'Haver quick kisses -- the judge pronounced them "man and wife, woman and husband."

O'Haver is a retired plumber and construction contractor. His bride has used O'Haver's name for many years. They apparently began living as a couple in 1925 and had one son, the late Louis Gene O'Haver.

Their marriage was Zyness O'Haver's idea, family members said.

"He's a fun guy," grandson Louis G. "Garrett" O'Haver Jr., of Norco, Calif., said shortly before the wedding, "and he used to say as a joke, 'Someday I'm gonna make an honest woman out of her.'"

A granddaughter, Rebecca O'Haver of Oklahoma City, said her grandparents met during "a hayrack ride" in Texas when her grandfather was about 17, and her grandmother, a native of Tyler, Texas, was 16.

Rebecca O'Haver said the family had long considered her grandparents' wedding date as July 17, 1925. But, family members never were able to locate their marriage license and were told conflicting stories about it, until they decided it didn't exist.

When greeted by one of the well-wishers, Zyness O'Haver answered, "Yes, it's a big day."

Then he said, turning toward his wife, "And this is the little lady."

[ChemistCat]

An AWWW. Proof, ladies, that sometimes they mean it when they say "Someday..."

[najida]

If they made it 77 years, then they know it will work.

[Slicksadick]

Boy, thats some curdled milk that guys been getting for free.

[ProudGOP]

I guess he wasn't sure whether she was the one.

[ewing]

Good things come to those who wait..

[martin_fierro]

Soooo...? When can we expect children....? <|:)~

[ChemistCat]

We live in an age of miracles & wonder & Viagra. :-) They must be happy.

[Cincinatus]

I give it about a month.

[Wolfie]

It'll never last.

[ericthecurdog]

Awwwww... did I mention... that a moose once bit my sister?

[Polybius]

Sallie Warren decided to make it official and get married. Why not, after living together 77 years?

The shameless hussy. ;-)

[Scenic Sounds]

It'll never last.

I've got real good feelings about this one.

Zyness and Sallie - that old hay ride has just begun!

[happydogdesign]

Like the old joke about the 98 year old couple who went to their attorney to get a divorce-he asked them why they wanted to split up now after all those years together and they told him they wanted to wait until after their kids were dead.

[Wolfie]

I'll go with the odds.

Half of all marriages end in divorce. The other half drag on, and on, and on... ;^)

[Adder]

You can never be too sure its going to last, those/these days. Nothing like being a little cautious and not wanting to rush into anything. :}

[Scenic Sounds]

I'll go with the odds.

Half of all marriages end in divorce. The other half drag on, and on, and on... ;^)

I hear ya, but Zyness and Sallie got an unexplainable "thing" working for them. You've just got to know when to play the long money. ;-)

[Protagoras]

Common law marriage has been recognised for a very long time, even before government proclaimed itself to be in control of it.

[Scothia]

Dr. Laura must be proud.

[Teacher317]

ping! ;^)

[AgThorn]

I don't know .... can a guy ever be sure? ;-)