Couple Celebrating 70th Wedding Anniversary Shares Secret to Successful Marriage
Derek, 91, and Brenda Dodge, 92, married on March 12, 1955
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Elderly married couple (stock image)After 70 years of marriage, Derek and Brenda Dodge know a thing or two about healthy relationships.
The England-based couple got married on Derek's 21st birthday on March 12, 1955, at St. Dunstan's Church in Baltonsborough. Seven decades later, they've decided to share their secret to a successful marriage.
Derek, now 91, and Brenda, now 92, told the BBC that the key to a good marriage is "love, respect for one another, patience, being truthful and to understand you don't always have to agree."
The pair, both from the village of Baltonsborough near Glastonbury, first met at a local youth club. After losing his temper, Derek was asked to leave and Brenda offered to walk him home because she felt sorry for him. Soon after, they fell in love.
When he was just 19 years old, Derek asked Brenda to marry him. Because Brenda's parents thought they were "far too young" at the time to tie the knot, they waited two years. During those two years, Derek served in the army.
Stefania Pelfini, La Waziya Photography/Getty Stock Image
Elderly married couple (stock image)The couple went on to have two children, a son and a daughter, the latter of whom died in her 40s from cancer. Derek and Brenda also now have seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
"We've really had a very happy life," Brenda said.
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Back in January, Betty and Elton Denner — now 100 and 101, respectively — reflected on the success behind their long-lasting marriage, just three months after celebrating their 82nd wedding anniversary.
"Their advice for a loving relationship is simple: patience, don’t win an argument, do things together, with each other and the Lord," said the couple's daughter Christie Regan, who helped Betty and Elton answer PEOPLE's questions.
She continued: "They credit their faith in Jesus as the strength in their marriage, guiding them each and every day. The love of their Lord has blessed and sustained them through these 82 years together."
As for the longest-living married couple, Manoel Angelim Dino, 105, and Maria de Sousa Dino, 101 — who have been married for 84 years — their answer to a happy union is simple: love.
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