Wilmington couple shares their secret to 66 years of marriage

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — After being married for 66 years this February, everything that Eugene and Ruth Emmer do, they do together. 

“We walk together holding hands because she’s holding me up and I’m holding her up,” Eugene said.  

In 1958, Eugene was stationed in Germany as an U.S. Army Lieutenant.  

Not long after arriving, he met a German woman behind the counter of a transportation office named Ruth.   

“I went their a couple times and finally I got up enough nerve to ask ‘could I speak to that lady?’ and she came up to the counter and I asked her ‘would you like to go on a date tonight?’ and the first thing she said to me was ‘I don’t make dates over the counter,’ and that king of set me back,” Eugene recalled. 

But although Ruth played coy, she said her first impression of Eugene was clear. 

“This is fate,” Ruth recalled. 

Less than a year later, the two tied the knot and have been inseparable ever since.  

For the staff at Lakeshore Commons, Mr. And Mrs. Emmer’s love is clear to see.  

 “He treats her such as a lady,” Engaged Life Coordinator Tabitha Northway said. “He opens the door for her, he holds her arm, he always tells her she’s beautiful.”  

Eugene explains that one of the secrets to their longevity is compromise.  

“I always say compromise, you know, we try not to get into a big argument,” Eugene said.” There’s always compromise and talk about it and cool down.”   

But as Ruth put it, the ‘secret’ is actually quite simple.  

“What do you think is the secret to our staying married for 66 years,” Eugene asked Ruth. 

“To love each other but also respect each other,” Ruth replied.