He’s 104 and she’s 100. Eighty-three years ago when they ran away to get married, that four years represented a big age difference — she was still in high school; he was a Syrian refugee who had made it to the US and was getting by peddling produce in Connecticut and cruising in his Ford Roadster.
By now, John and Ann Betar have ironed out any differences. They are thought to be the longest-married couple in the United States, and on Valentine’s Day they dispensed advice to younger lovebirds via the Twitter account of Handy, an online marketplace for home services.
As marketing gimmicks go, Handy’s did a fine job of connecting the generations. People with questions tweeted them during the week preceding Valentine’s Day, and Handy tweeted back answers from the Betars to a few of those questions. How relevant is a centenarian couple’s experience to a 20- or 30-year-old? In an interview with the Washington Post, John talked about how different things are today, especially technology; he has a cellphone rely on it for much. Asked if he were to ask Annie out today, how he’d do it, he said he’d probably Google her, then text her to invite her on a date.
Still, some things don’t change — as the tweets below show.
.@SurelyURJoking Ann: Thinking “Oh boy here they come after us! we eloped. Being afraid to go home. This was a very disobedient thing to do”
— Handy (@Handy) February 14, 2016
@Handy I’m glad they didn’t say “the color of the napkins” THANK YOU for answering ❤️ — Allison B (@SurelyURJoking) February 15, 2016
.@dreamdy Ann: “I say, “Oh go do what you want “. Nine out of ten times he doesn’t!” — Handy (@Handy) February 14, 2016
Ann: “Listen to an older person, whether you want to or not. We both learned that from our parents – respect an older person’s words” — Handy (@Handy) February 14, 2016
.@ChrisArgento John: “The Car!” — Handy (@Handy) February 14, 2016
Ann (cont.): “To live in world like this, you’re fortunate. You know what’s happening. And if you don’t know, it’s your own fault.”
— Handy (@Handy) February 14, 2016
Several questions tweeted to the Betars remained unanswered, among them:
- What is your best advice to defeat the monotony and keep the fire burning?
- During arguments/disagreements is it wise to agree to disagree sometimes or should a couple seek a resolution together?
- What is your secret to make each other happy and loving each other for such a long time?
If you have answers to these questions — or to any of the questions the Betars responded to — share them in the comments section below and we’ll tweet them!
Top photo: WSHU
COMMENTS
2 responses to “Longest Married Couple Tweet Relationship Advice”
Thanks for a beautiful story of true love. Many more happy anniversaries to you to lovely people.
THANK YOU
Become a Supporter
Join us online to gain access to exclusive benefits and opportunities only for Senior Planet Supporters!
Learn More Here!
Sign Up for Newsletters
There’s always a lot going on in the Senior Planet universe. Get our newsletters to make sure you never miss a thing!
Sign Up Now
Join Senior Planet Community
Senior Planet Community is our social media platform designed specifically for older adult users. Engage in thought-provoking discussions, make new friends, and share resources all on a safe and ad-free platform.
Join the Conversation Today