FLORENCE, Ky. — One couple is celebrating 80 years of love and nearly 100 years of life this year.
Every morning, Ruth and Vernon Mize honor their bond by cooking breakfast side by side. They turn what is a simple routine into a cherished ritual, displaying their unwavering strength.
"We don't have any trouble working together," Vernon said as he made breakfast with his wife.
Vernon and Ruth have spent 80 years together, watching each other grow and evolve. They said they can’t believe how far they’ve come.
As they sat in their garden and reflected on their time as a couple, they shared sweet glances at one another. They were born during the Roaring '20s era in Alabama, and Vernon served in the Coast Guard during World War II as a line cook before coming home and marrying his love.
“I just get credit saving his life ... he didn't have to go to South Pacific because (it) was not very safe over there," Ruth said.
Over the years, they’d raise four children: Vickie, Pam, Kathy and Scott. The couple now lives with its youngest daughter, Kathy.
"Dad kisses mom, like, every day," said Kathy as she looked at baby photos with her parents and siblings. "He says he loves her. They work together. And I am just blessed that I'm able to be here to witness that and be with them and to take care of them."
Kathy wasn’t the only person in awe of her parents' love as they welcomed nearly 80 people from across nine states to come and celebrate the couple's eight decades of marriage, even getting Florence Mayor Julie Metzger Aubuchon to congratulate them.
"Start out with the idea that (you're) going to make it, not just wondering," said Ruth when asked about the secret to a happy and healthy marriage.