It's official: Two senior citizens from Louisiana received a certificate proclaiming them the longest married couple in the state, KATC reported.

>> Read more trending news

Wallace and Gladys Menard, of Duson, have been married 80 years, according to the Louisiana Family Forum.

The couple met in 1937 and were married Sept. 17, 1938. When they were married, Wallace was 19 and Gladys was 16, according to the forum.

The state of Louisiana issued a certificate to the couple to honor their long years of marriage, KATC reported.

"LFF honors these couples in a celebration of marriage. Countless accomplishments are recognized in society today – why not celebrate the one that requires the greatest effort of all? Marriage requires hard work, intentionality, and selflessness," Louisiana Family Forum president Gene Mills told the Franklin Sun. "A successful marriage takes heroic levels of dedication. These couples remind us that lifelong marriages are not only for days of old. In fact, they're happening all around us."

What is the secret for the Menards’ longevity?

"You have to take the bad and the good," Gladys Menard told KATC.

“When she needed me I was there, when I needed her, she was there,” Wallace Menard told the television station.

About the Author

Keep Reading

If the Senate's version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passes, the 30% federal tax credits offered for clean energy installations — such as these solar panels being installed atop an Ellenwood home in 2022 — would be sunset by the end of 2025. (Jason Getz/AJC 2022)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Featured

People carrying a giant pride flag participate in the annual Pride Parade in Atlanta on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez