By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer
BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – The search is on for Louisiana’s longest married couple.
The Louisiana Family Forum is holding its annual contest to find the top 10 longest-married couples in the state, who will be entered into the family advocacy group’s Marriage Hall of Fame.
“Marriage needs an ally,” Louisiana Family Forum President Gene Mills told the Baptist Message. “What better champion than the covenant keepers who have remained faithful for seven decades or longer. Help me identify and unpack the stories of Louisiana’s longest married couples.”
Those eligible for the contest must have been married for at least 70 years before Feb. 3.
Last year, Louisiana Family Forum named Gail and Patsy Richardson of Gonzales as the state’s longest-married couple at 81 years. Gail, a longtime member of First Baptist Church, Gonzales, and Patsy, who attends St. Mark’s Catholic Church, Gonzales, married on Sept. 1, 1940.
Other couples who were runners up included:
— Lauris and Earline Broussard, Abbeville, 81 years
— James and Verna Wil[1]son, Marksville, 77 years
— William and Frances Rosevally, Covington, 77 years
— Clyde and Bertha Moody, Bogalusa, 74 years
— Marion and Jean Hess, New Orleans, 74 years
— Paul and Yvonne Wilson, Morgan City, 74 years
— Richard and Geraldine Tiem, Shreveport, 72 years
— Jacob and Thelma Jones, Lafayette, 72 years
— Nelville and Mary Theard, Covington, 72 years
— Harold and Juanita Beaugh, Church Point, 71 years
— Angelo and Josie Lewis, Shreveport, 71 years
— Kenneth and JoAnn McBride, Lecompte, 70 years
The contest is held each year during National Marriage Week USA, Feb. 7-14. The week is an effort “to strengthen individual marriages, reduce divorce, and build a marriage culture.”
Entries can be submitted by email, info@lafamilyforum.org, phone, 225.344.8533, or online, www.lafamilyforum.org.
