Posted on 04/24/2005 5:10:55 PM PDT by Borges
ST. LOUIS, Mich. - Alexander J. Vance and his wife, Leola, made a life together for nearly 64 years. This week, they died 14 hours apart at Schnepp's Health Care Center.
Alexander Vance met Leola in Algonac, where Vance was building barges for the military in 1941. He was 20, she was 16.
Leola Vance later told her children that she liked her future husband's personality and the twinkle in his eye. He liked "everything" about her, Phil Vance, the couple's 48-year-old son, told the Morning Sun of Mount Pleasant for a Saturday story.
They married Dec. 19, 1941 and moved to the Alma area.
Alexander Vance worked for Alma Products for 39 years, retiring as general foreman about 20 years ago, while his wife was a homemaker.
The couple stayed in their home for as long as they could, until Parkinson's disease forced Alexander Vance to move into a nursing home in February.
Earlier this month, Leola Vance, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, began complaining that her head hurt. It later was determined that she had bleeding in her brain. By April 15, her husband also had taken a turn for the worse and both were in a coma in a nursing home.
"It was almost like a race," Phil Vance said. "They always said they wanted to go together and I sometimes think they were telepathically communicating about who would go first. But we were told she might live for several more days."
Alexander Vance died at 9:45 a.m. EDT Wednesday. Phil Vance said family members were singing hymns in his mother's room later that night, when she stopped breathing just before midnight.
"'Now you can be together,' I said," recalled Phil Vance, a retired minister who will perform a service at the Dewey Funeral Home in Alma on Monday.
"They had asked me to do the funeral. It's really a great love story."
God bless em.
My mom and grandma have had long lives as widows after the hombres passed on.
Not to hijack an otherwise lovely thread, but your post reminded me of this gem:
A wife wakes up and sees her husband isn't in bed. She finds him in the kitchen crying over a cup of coffee.
"What's wrong?" the wife asks.
"Remember when you were only 16 and I was 18 and your dad caught us in the back seat of my car? He put a shotgun in my face and said, 'Either you marry my daughter, or you'll go to jail for twenty years.'"
The wife says, "Of course I remember. But, why are you crying?"
"Today is the day I would have been let out of jail!"
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
When I was in high school my best friend's great grandfather passed away. Her greatgrandmother began telling her family she would follow him shortly because she just could not live without him, her heart was breaking. She passed away within a week. She died in her sleep due to a previously undiscovered heart condition according to an autopsy. Her family believes that her heart did truly break.
If you ever get a chance to hear it, do. The music is so beautiful as well and country singer Kathy Mattea has a beautiful voice!
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
"God is merciful: as he assures the righteous of eternal life neither will He with hold those they have loved from them. He keeps His Promises in all things including love, since He implanted us with this beautiful gift. If we can love on earth, all the more so will we love in Heaven."
Not to play devils advocate (but it kinda sounds fun here :D), are you saying that those who do not find sappy love puppies with whom to share their food, couch and taxes will be unable to love in Heaven?
A good friend and I sang hymns to her mother who was in the last stages of Alzheimers. She passed awsay that night. I know she heard us. It was a blessing to be there.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
Today its called robbing the cradle. 15 years in the jail.
Ever see the Movie "Windwalker"?
Love Native American Style, (it may have saved my Marriage 17 years ago)
Nice story - lucky family.
That is if you survive meeting DAD!
(One down two to go)
When I get married and become a dad of a daughter I'm going to be the worst. I'll rename my shotgun after one of her previous bfs and let the current one do the math :D
Remember this one by Kathy. . .but know there are a few more out there too.
This really is a sweet. . .bittersweet perhaps. . .'true love' story. . .certainly sounds like one, anyway.
Yes . .and some of 'Notebook' as well. . .
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