After 71 years of marriage, an elderly couple died the same day in the United States.

"Only love illuminates what lasts", the song of Silvio Rodríguez could be the title of the love story of Herbert DeLaigle (94 years old) and Marilyn Frances (88 years old), the senior couple who, after 71 years of marriage, died on the same day in the United States.

As published by the site WRDW, the man died at 2:20 am and 12 hours later, at 2:20 pm, she left.

The love story of Herbert and Marilyn began at a Waynesboro cafe, while they were only 16 and 22 years old.

"Frances worked in a little Waynesboro cafe called White Way Cafe," Herbert said in an interview in 2018. "I kept watching her, I went and came, I watched her, and I finally became nervous and I asked him if he would go out with me one day. "

His first date was at the cinema. A year later, Herbert made the marriage proposal and she accepted.

However, the usual impunity of Herbert narrowly prevented the couple from completing the marriage. And the boyfriend arrived an hour late in the church, so the priest first refused to celebrate the service. Finally, after several steps, he agreed to marry the young at a brief ceremony hastily celebrated.

Herbert's long military career in the US military led the couple to live six years in Germany. Once back, Marilyn Francis became leader of a scout group and a devout member of the local congregation of the Baptist Church.

The couple left a large number of offspring: six children, 16 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.