GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- With the divorce rate in America hovering around the 50%, one local couple is bucking the trend.
Donald and Vivian Hart of Grand Rapids recently celebrated their 80th wedding anniversary.
The couple met when Donald gave Vivian and some friends a ride home from church services. The pair then tied the knot on June 25, 1937.
"Is it really? I can't believe that," jokes Vivian.
"That was way back in the Stone Age," Donald responded.
All jokes aside, the couple credits their faith and their strong family for their lasting relationship.
"We’re seriously thankful for our family," said Vivian. "God has given us a good family. We’ve been blessed by them."
For their anniversary celebration, the couple received a special surprise from Nothing Bundt Cakes, who read about the Harts and say they were very touched by the story.
"A big thing for my wife and I when we opened this bakery is we wanted to give back to the community," said co-owner Scott Vogel. "We wanted to wake up every morning and live our mission statement of delivering happiness one bite at a time."
The bakery brought out bundt cakes for the couple in the shape of the number 80. Scott and co-owner Christine also spent time with the couple as well as other residents at Pilgrim Manor.
It's an experience the Vogels say they'll never forget.
"When you hear something like 80 years together, and they’re definitely still in love and sitting side by side together, it’s something we could all wish for and hope for in our lives," said Vogel. "As my grandfather said, ‘Service and doing things for people is the rent we pay for living here.' And so those are words that have always held true to me, and it’s one of those things that makes us feel really good."
As for the Harts, they say they may be getting up there in age, but they still have a lot of living to do.
"I think He’s got work for us to do yet," said Vivian. "When we go, I think God’s been finished. But we need to make sure we do what God’s expected us to do."
