Still inseparable after 80 years
The Goosenbergs, who live at the La
"Everyone told us it wouldn't last. Now there's no one left alive for me to say 'See? I told you so,' " he quipped.
The Goosenbergs, who rarely leave each other's side and still talk to each other with sweet endearments, say there's no big secret to having a happy marriage.
"We just appreciate each other," said Helen, who is 100.
The Goosenbergs met at a
Maury remembers being equally impressed. "I thought ... well, there's a beauty."
But it wasn't love at first sight. Maury was 18 months older than Helen and he had a string of girlfriends. Helen's family warned her that he'd never settle down with one girl, but she knew better. And after about a year of playing the field, he came to the same conclusion.
"What I learned is that she was a solid person and she was beautiful in both looks and attitude," he said.
But in the early 1930s, Maury had no means to support a wife. Because of the Depression, he spent months walking the streets looking for work. Eventually he found a job driving a truck and Helen got an office job about 70 miles away in
Finally in
Their early years together were lean ones. Their favorite outing was taking long walks in the rain, she said, because it was free. They also loved to dance and won numerous ballroom dance contests. They had one child, a son named Jerry, who would marry and have four children before he passed away from cancer at the age of 36.
His widow, Dorothy Omens, said that her in-laws were well known for never spending a moment apart.
"They were inseparable, and they only had eyes for each other, to the point that Jerry said that even he felt excluded sometimes," said Omens, who lives in
After World War II, the Goosenbergs combined their entrepreneurial skills and prospered. Working side by side, they ran a Chrysler dealership and then opened an insurance business before eventually moving into estate planning. They were active in their Jewish temple, where he was president, and they gave generously to liberal causes.
When Jerry was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma, the Goosenbergs spent many months visiting him and his young family in
Granddaughter
"They both had strong personalities and they had high expectations for themselves and others. You never wanted to let them down," she said.
Although the couple had their share of disagreements over the years, Maury said they were always able to work things out "equitably, honestly and fairly."
On Sunday, they'll be the guests of honor at a
Although the Goosenbergs won this year's prize, theirs isn't the longest marriage in the country. According to multiple sources, the longest-married in the
Other surviving longtime spouses include Duranord and
These days the Goosenbergs no longer golf or get out of their apartment very often. Instead, they like sitting side by side in matching recliners where they read and enjoy watching "Jeopardy," football, golf and the news on television.
The years haven't faded their devotion to each other. Helen said she still loves her husband's sense of humor and his intellect. "All you have to do is talk to him for a few minutes and you can tell there's a lot there."
And Maury, a confessed romantic who's effusive in sharing his emotions, says he's the luckiest man in the world.
"She's the same outstanding individual she was when I was first attracted to her."
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