Household Council, a pro-family group positioned in Little Rock, has acknowledged Cleovis and Arwilda Whiteside because the longest-married couple in Arkansas. The Whitesides have been married for 84 years and so they attribute the success of their marriage to God.
Cleovis, now 102, was 17, when he married Arwilda on July 24, 1939, in Clarendon, Arkansas. 98-year-old Arwilda was 13 once they married.
“We are able to hardly imagine that is taking place to us as a result of we really feel like we had been the least, however God mentioned, ‘No. You’ll glorify my identify and love each other,’” Arwilda mentioned of their marriage, in line with KATV.
A non-public barbeque reception sponsored by the Household Council was organized for household and mates final weekend in Pine Bluff, the place the couple was honored by the Household Council.
“We’re a nonprofit group and we promote and defend conventional household values and we are able to’t consider any higher strategy to promote conventional household values than to have a good time the Whiteside’s 84 years of marriage that has been God-centered,” Charisse Dean, mission coordinator at Arkansas Household Council, mentioned, including that the Whitesides might even be America’s longest-married couple.
The Whitesides have been acknowledged as Arkansas’ Longest Married Couple since 2019. The 2 met a long time in the past whereas Arwilda and her good friend Caroline had been strolling residence from college. As they made their approach residence, some boys began to chase them and Caroline advised Arwilda to run to Cleovis for cover. He protected them and the boys left. Arwilda and Cleovis met years later at a church field supper, the place Caroline urged the 2 to get married.
Right now, the Whitesides are an inspiration to different {couples} and mates as they’ve saved their marriage covenant for many years now. They had been grateful to all those that had been current on the barbeque occasion.
“Might God bless you and I thanks for being right here right now, each one among you,” Cleovis mentioned to everybody.
