William Fullwood was 22 years of age when he set eyes on Willie Mae and fell for her on the spot.
She was 25 and repeatedly spurned his advances because of the age difference.
William refused to give up on the object of his affections and carried on visiting her every Sunday. He would win her around eventually.
“I remember, I think, when I first asked her to marry me she told me, she said, ‘I’m too much older than you,’ ” William told The Courier Post.
“I remember that just as good as yesterday. And I didn’t say no more, I just went on back going to see her every Sunday like I’d been doing and something happened. We got together. She wrote me a letter and said she was ready.”
The couple, originally from Dublin, Georgia, recently enjoyed a joint birthday celebration as William turned 98 and Willie Mae 101.
The pair, who now reside in the Mount Laurel Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare, still share a room. They have eight children, 23 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Speaking to TODAY, their youngest son Earnest Fullwood, 59, said: “They are truly in love.”
“They don’t ever have a bad thing and they are always cheerful and never cranky or moody. They say they are blessed to wake up each morning.
“My parents are the sweetest couple you ever want to see.”
