A 102-year-old woman married her 100-year-old boyfriend after they bonded at their retirement community.
Marjorie Fiterman and Bernie Littman of Philadelphia met nine years ago after they locked eyes at a party downtown and went on their first date that same day.
The lovebirds haven’t looked back since and officially tied the knot on May 19.
The couple, who have a combined age of 202, are believed to be the world’s oldest living married couple and their families recently contacted Guinness World Records to confirm this.
Marjorie Fiterman and Bernie Littman of Philadelphia met nine years ago after they locked eyes at a party downtown, and they went on their first date that same day.
The lovebirds haven’t looked back since and officially tied the knot on May 19.
The couple, who have a combined age of 202, are believed to be the world’s oldest living married couple and their families recently contacted Guinness World Records to confirm this.
Bernie’s granddaughter, Sarah Sicherman, 39, said Today that, despite being together for almost a decade, the two only started talking about marriage after Marjorie fell and broke her leg, prompting the couple to spring into action.
‘There was kind of a moment of, “I don’t want to live without you,” and then it was just a “why don’t we get married?” that kind of thing,’ she shared.
Bernie’s granddaughter, Sarah Sicherman, spoke about the couple’s relationship.
“It was kind of spur of the moment. At first we thought it was a joke, but then they went ahead and took all necessary measures.’
Sarah explained that the centenarians “wanted to jump right in” and formally applied for a marriage license to make it an official legal union.
To do so, the couple had to get a new photo ID because their driving licenses had expired.
Marjorie and Bernie were married during a traditional Jewish wedding in front of 10 of their closest family members in an intimate celebration.
“It’s not often that I am asked to preside over the wedding of a bride and groom who have each lived for more than a century (in fact, this is the only time it has happened),” Rabbi Adam Wohlberg, who officiated, has said since then.
“The fact that they found love again is heartwarming.”
Marjorie and Bernie were married during a traditional Jewish wedding in front of 10 of their closest family members in an intimate celebration.
Lovebirds are incredibly optimistic, which until now was a trait linked to longevity.
Both Marjorie and Bernie have been married previously.
Bernie was married for 65 years before becoming widowed in 2012, and Marjorie also enjoyed a long marriage until her first husband passed away.
“We’re so glad he found someone he loves spending time with,” says Sarah.
“It’s adorable that they decided to do this… and it’s fun for us as a family to be able to share this with everyone – to have this kind of happy news at a time when things are really crazy in the world.”
Sarah further shared about her grandfather: “Keeping his mind alert has definitely been very helpful. He’s an engineer, so he’s always been a handyman and wanted to solve situations.’
Bernie remained active and participated in tennis games into his 80s.
Sarah called his diet “very ordinary”, explaining that he was a fan of Scotch whiskey and enjoyed small sips during important events.
And, about his new wife, he added: ‘Marjorie is also very sophisticated and educated. She was a teacher and her husband was in the military, so he was able to travel a lot during that time. She lived three years in Japan.
Marjorie had no children, so she symbolically adopted Bernie’s two children, four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, as her own.
Lovebirds are both incredibly optimistic, which until now has been a trait linked to longevity.
“They are happy enjoying their time together,” Sarah concluded.
According Health LineThere are 13 positive habits one can incorporate to help live a longer life.
They include not overeating, eating more nuts, trying turmeric, eating plenty of vegetables, staying physically active, not smoking, and drinking moderately.
Other healthy habits include prioritizing happiness, avoiding chronic stress and anxiety, fostering a social circle, being more conscientious, drinking coffee or tea, and having a good sleeping pattern.