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Louisiana couple celebrates 77 years of happy marriage, what’s their secret?
Posted: 05.03.2012 at 11:13 AM
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Lloyd and Evelyn Collins  / Courtesy NBC News
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LOUISIANA -- In 1934, gasoline cost ten cents a gallon, Shirley Temple made her first feature film debut, and Henry Ford's Model T car was the most popular vehicle.

It was also the year a couple fell in love.

Now seven decades later, they're still living happily ever after.

The story of Lloyd and Evelyn Collins looks and sounds like a fairy tale where a queen met her prince and they lived happily ever after, but as they tell us, there is no secret to success.

They say every marriage takes work and a lot of it, and theirs is no exception.

"I guess you would say it was love at first sight," said Evelyn Collins.

Evelyn and Lloyd  first laid eyes on each other 78 years ago, when he was 22, and she was 21.

"Well I was one that didn't have a date that night so we went out to see if we could find me a date, we came by the church," said Evelyn Collins.

"I was lonely, sitting in the church," said Lloyd Collins.

Six months after their first date, Lloyd and Evelyn tied the knot and they say the commitment they made to each other was forever.

"It was one of the most wonderful happiest times in my life," said Evelyn Collins.

"Oh, it was the best decision I ever made," said Lloyd Collins.

Through the years, Lloyd and Evelyn had a lot of happy memories together, and they traveled the world.

Still, they say not everything in their lives is so picture perfect.

"I had a job but I got laid off for a while and we stayed with our daddy and mother," said Lloyd.

"Of course there have been things, ups and downs like every family probably has but we've had some ups and downs but we are happy now and everything has turned out good," said Evelyn.

They say their faith, was their foundation for when times got tough.

"God, He is suppose to come first in our life, even before our husbands or anybody, we are suppose to but him first," said Evelyn.

"She's always wanting to go to church, serving the lord," said Lloyd.

The Collins have one daughter and three grandchildren and all of their relatives are inspired by their love, devotion and dedication to each other.

"They respect each other and they grew up knowing you know when you got married that was suppose to be for a life time and we all have our differences and they had their differences but they worked through them," said Bobbie Mobley.

Now at 99 and 100 years old the Collins say they have worked hard but even they are surprised by their age.

"Of course we don't like to be all that old, but yet it is an honor to a certain extent to know you know that we have lived that long just thankful that we are, that the lord has blessed us very much all through our life," said Evelyn.

"I don't feel like I'm no one hundred years old, I'm still active, I don't have any pains," said Lloyd.

And with that, he leaves us with this sage piece of advice.

"Just take one day at a time," said Lloyd.

(Information from NBC News was used in this report.)

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