A couple whose children say they held hands at breakfast every morning during their 70-year marriage died 15 hours apart recently. Helen Felumlee, of Nashport, Ohio, died at 92 on April 12. Kenneth Felumlee her 91-year-old husband, died the next morning.
According to the Zanesville Times Recorder, Kenneth had his leg amputated 2.5 years ago due to circulation problems. Ever since then, Helen became his main caretaker. She continued to look after him until three weeks before her death, when she grew too frail to care for him.
The two hadn’t slept apart in 70 years, the family said. Once many years ago, the two took an overnight ferry that had bunk-beds, and decided to both sleep on the bottom bunk instead of sleeping apart a single night.
The lovebirds eloped in Newport, Ky. on Feb. 20, 1944, two days shy of Kenneth’s 21st birthday. They had already been dating for three years. Helen quickly became pregnant, and the couple went on to have eight children.
“It was a wonderful going away party,” Cody said. “He was ready. He just didn’t want to leave her here by herself.”
“She was staying strong for Dad and he was staying strong for her,” Cody said. “That’s what kept them going.”