Wally Furjanic remembers his wedding day like it was yesterday.
“It cost me $500, and that’s what we collected. So, we broke even,” said Wally with a smile.
He and Sally have always been close. His bride of 77 years sat nestled under his arm on the couch, holding a black and white photo of a stunning young woman in an elegant dress.
“I paid $19.95,” she said.
Things have changed since May 10, 1941, but the connection between Wally and Sally has not. It’s as strong today as it was on that day 77 years ago. They credit each other for making their marriage work in an age where many couples give up after 77 days.
PHOTOS: Bradenton couple celebrates 77 years of marriage
“You want to be an example,” said Sally. “You don’t want to be something that isn’t right.”
The Furjanics had seven children, 19 grandchildren, and 31 great-grandchildren. They raised their family on an 80-acre farm in Michigan before moving to Florida in 1969. Wally famously tells the story the moment he decided to leave the northern weather behind. Out in the driveway, he heard the Miami weather report on the radio with a negative-10 degree wind swirling.
“I walked right in the house and said, ‘Sal, we’re moving to Florida’.”
Wally was born in 1920, followed by Sally in 1922. They wed at the ages of 21 and 19, respectively. There have been highs and lows over their 77 years. Wally put on his Navy uniform and left Sally behind for 21 months to serve in WWII. He was deployed on their third wedding anniversary with an infant and pregnant wife. A few years later, there was the loss of a child, Tracey, to a brain tumor at the age of 6.
They say the difficult moments taught them to lean on each other instead of outsiders.
“Just remember that you married for a reason. It’s not to make yourself miserable, it’s to make yourself happy,” said Sally. “Sometimes it’s pretty hard but then you think back at what you really started and you want to finish in a good way.”
They don’t expect much celebrating on their anniversary. Wally joked they’ll celebrate by going to doctor appointments together.
The family is spread out around the country. They plan to have a nice, quiet day.
In a climate where marriage is more casual than ever, the Furjanics are proud that they’ve stayed together so long. After all these years, spending time together is still their favorite thing.
“You want to set an example,” said Wally. “Never go to bed without kissing each other."
The Guinness Book of World Records says the longest recorded marriage was 86 years, set by Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher.
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