Longest-Married Couple Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher Give Love Advice | Gimundo

World’s Longest-Married Couple Share Relationship Advice on Twitter

Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher have been married for 86 years, and are the world's longest-married living couple. Now, they're sharing the secrets of their success on Twitter for Valentine's Day.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on February 11 2010

Image: iStockphoto

If you and your partner have been together for a while, you may be concerned about how to keep that spark of romance alive. And while there’s no shortage of books, magazines, and TV shows claiming to have the answers, espousing everything from tango classes to regular therapy sessions, we’d prefer to take our relationship advice from people who know what they’re talking about.

Like Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher. These lovebirds from North Carolina got married in 1924, back when a dozen eggs cost a quarter and Calvin Coolidge was president. In 2008, they received a Guinness Record for being the world’s longest-married living couple. Today, they’re still going strong, even at the ripe old ages of 104 (Herbert) and 102 (Zelmyra).

Zelmyra still remembers what Herbert was like when she first married him. “He was not mean; he was not a fighter,” she told the New Bern Sun Journal. “He was quiet and kind. He was not much to look at but he was sweet.”

The Fishers, who are African-American, were poor when they got married, but they worked hard to create a good life for their family, despite the difficulties caused by segregation and racial discrimination. They had five children, and raised enough money to put them all through college. At last count, they have ten grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Though they’ve spent many decades together, the pair take care to give each other space: they attend separate churches, and Zelmyra is always happy to turn over the TV to Herbert when the baseball comes on. They claim to never fight.

If you want to know their secret, you’re in luck: in honor of Valentine’s Day, the Fishers are planning to answer 14 relationship questions, via Twitter. Have something to ask them? Just tweet in your question to @longestmarried by February 13th, and you might be selected. We’re sure they’ll have better advice for you than Dr. Phil.

Filed under: Arts and Culture, General Interest, Weird,

Liked this? You'll love these, too:

Olympic Swimmer Matt Grevers Wins Race to Get Engaged on Podium

Swimmer Matt Grevers proposed to girlfriend Annie Chandler as she presented a medal to him at the Missouri Grand Prix. Read More
How Not to Destroy Your Marriage: 8 Tips for Staying a Happy Couple

Therapist Mark Tyrrell offers eight pieces of great advice for maintaining a positive relationship with your partner. Read More
Valentine’s Day Music Videos: Our Favorite Songs of Romance and Regret

In the mood for love, or maybe for wallowing in sadness over a relationship gone wrong? Here are some songs that will help in either case. Read More
Soldier’s Lifesaving Parachute Transformed to Wedding Dress for His Bride

After using a parachute to survive a plane crash, Claude Hensinger gave the chute to his future bride to be used as a wedding dress. Read More
Five Incredible True Love Stories for Valentine’s Day

In honor of Valentine's Day, we've rounded up five of our favorite true love stories we've published on Gimundo. They're bound to melt even the iciest of hearts. Read More