It’s a love story 72 years in the making. A lesbian couple aged in their nineties have finally wed.
Vivian Boyack, 91, and Alice ‘Nonie’ Dubes, 90, who met during World War I, tied the knot on Saturday.
Dressed in pastels the elderly couple were wheeled down the aisle of First Christian Church, Iowa, to exchange wedding vows in a ceremony which Rev. Linda Husker said “should have happened a very long time ago.”
The nonagenarian’s happy union was celebrated after living an adventurous life together that saw the pair travel to every US state, all the provinces in Canada and twice across the Atlantic to England.
During their careers, Vivian was a teacher and Alice worked as a payroll clerk.
Alice told local reporters: “We’ve had a good time,” before adding that it takes work to keep a relationship going for 72 years.
Throughout their lives Alice and Vivian have seen a huge shift in social and political anti-gay sentiment and their enduring romance has warmed the hearts of many.
Jerry Yeast, 73, an old friend of the couple, told the Quad City Times that he had known the newlyweds since he was an 18-year-old landscaper working in their yard.
“I’ve known these two women all my life, and I can tell you, they are special,” Yeast said.
“This is a very special day for all of us.”
