Love, Heartbreak

After 70 Years Together, This Couple Dies 15 Hours Apart

Felumlee

Theirs was the quintessential love story; together since their teens and remaining committed to each other for decades. Kenneth and Helen Felumlee, 91 and 92 respectively at the times of their deaths, couldn't bear to be separated, even in the afterlife. Helen passed the morning of April 12, and Kenneth followed her just 15 hours later, surrounded by friends and family.

The couple met in their late teens, going steady at ages 18 and 19. They dated for three years before eloping in February of 1944. From then on, they were inseparable. Until the ends of their lives, they started each day by eating breakfast while holding hands. They had eight children together, and were supported in their last days by the love of the family they had created. Both are remembered fondly as hard workers who supported their family no matter the hurdle. Kenneth's children recalled how he would go out of his way to help others.

A few weeks before her death, Helen's health took a downward turn. She held out as long as she could, finally passing away after being confined to a hospital bed. According to the Felumlee family, it was only a short 12 hours after Helen passed that Kenneth began to fade. He was gone three hours later.

Daughter Linda Cody stated, "We knew when one went, the other was going to go. We wanted them to go together, and they did."