Couples Celebrate 50+ Years of Love

Two Texas couples share their secrets to lasting relationships

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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As Valentine's Day celebrates love in all its forms, some couples are marking a milestone few ever reach - 50 years or more together. Through decades of change and challenges, these long-lasting relationships remind us that love isn't built on grand gestures alone, but on commitment, patience, and showing up every single day. The stories of two Texas couples - Hans and Elizabeth Kreupeling, married for over 50 years, and Jim and Mary Francis, married for 71 years - offer insights into what it takes to make a marriage last.

Why it matters

In an era when many marriages end in divorce, the stories of these long-lasting couples provide inspiration and wisdom about the keys to a fulfilling, lifelong partnership. Their experiences highlight the importance of embracing differences, leaning on faith and support, and weathering life's ups and downs together.

The details

Hans Kreupeling met his wife Elizabeth in 1969 after emigrating from Holland to Texas. The two say they knew early on that they were meant to be together, despite their different backgrounds. Meanwhile, Jim and Mary Francis met in college after Jim returned from the Marines in 1954. Though they came from different religious upbringings, they made a commitment to 'live together forever' and have now been married for 71 years. Both couples credit their lasting love to qualities like commitment, patience, and being there for each other through good times and bad.

  • Hans and Elizabeth Kreupeling met in 1969.
  • Jim and Mary Francis married on August 27, 1954.

The players

Hans Kreupeling

A man who emigrated from Holland to Texas and met his wife Elizabeth in 1969.

Elizabeth Kreupeling

Hans Kreupeling's wife, whom he met in 1969 while she was walking her dog.

Jim Amos

A man who met his wife Mary Francis in college after returning from the Marines in 1954.

Mary Francis

Jim Amos' wife, whom he met in college in 1954.

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What they’re saying

“We felt like god meant for us to be together. We were so different. We were from different continents, different countries, different languages, and different religions. We feel like it was meant for us to be together.”

— Elizabeth Kreupeling (fox44news.com)

“We made a commitment that we wanted to live together forever. And we're almost there now. Two dumb kids, no money. Didn't know where we were going, didn't know how to get there, but it didn't matter. We're going together.”

— Jim Amos (fox44news.com)

“She's been my rock, I guarantee you, because you don't go through 71 years of marriage without some rough spots. And she hung with me for a long time.”

— Jim Amos (fox44news.com)

The takeaway

These couples' stories demonstrate that lasting love is built on a foundation of commitment, faith, and supporting each other through life's ups and downs. Their experiences offer inspiration and wisdom for couples of all ages seeking to nurture long-lasting, fulfilling relationships.