Maury and Helen Goosenberg eloped in Philadelphia in 1935. Little did they know eighty years later they’d still be together.
“We ran away and got married. It was an elopement. We told the family about it afterwards. We weren’t taking any chances,” Helen told NBC 7. “His family wasn’t too happy with me and mine wasn’t too happy with him.”
On Sunday the Goosenbergs were honored by Worldwide Marriage Encounter for being 2016’s longest married couple. The Goosenbergs, who live in Carlsbad, were selected from over 250 couples across the county.
The organization presented the couple with gifts, acknowledgments and a wedding cake at their home at La Costa Glen retirement community in front of family and friends.
Many of the Goosenbergs’ seven grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren, including the great granddaughter who nominated them, attended.
Maury and Helen are 102 and 100 respectively, and although they’re moving a little slower these days, they treasure every moment of the life they’ve had together.
“He gave me a big kiss and he’s ready to go, and I said, ‘Wait a minute.’ And I just went on, told him how I felt and what I thought we should do,” Helen remembered.
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She said she’s the one who proposed, but Maury said he would have asked if she didn’t.
“We had been going together for such a long time. Everybody knew that she was betrothed to me. It was just a matter of time,” Maury told NBC 7.
One of their favorite memories, the couple said, is the time they won a big dance contest.
“I forgot that. It was quite a deal when we did that!” Helen said.
“I agree with you. It is quite a deal,” Maury replied.
They profess they don’t know the secret to a happy marriage but admitted, ‘we just like to argue.”
The Goosenbergs marriage has survived the Great Depression, a world war, 13 presidents and dozens of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren – and it’s not over yet.
“[They said] ‘It never would last," Helen laughed. "it just wouldn’t last."
