See gay Couple 90 and 91 respectively get married after been together for 72 yrs.

These couple, 90 and 91 respectively, have been together for 72 years.

They met at the college in Cedar Falls, a small town in the north of the state, far from the crucibles of the gay-rights battles that would be waged in cities such as New York and San Francisco. “It just hit us immediately – if you can understand that,” said Dubes. “Kind of like a regular marriage, the boy-and-girl meet … well, that was just the way we were.”

Except that in the 1940s, their relationship was everything but regular. It would be 57 years before Iowa legalised same-sex marriage, the first state in the midwest to do so. On Saturday, Dubes and Boyack went public with their relationship for the first time, when they got married at the First Christian Church in Davenport, their home since 1947.

“We haven’t been able to get married until the last few years, so that’s why we’re so old when we’re getting married,” said Dubes.

Their wedding was the first same-sex marriage at First Christian Church, which they have been attending for 66 years.

“The church has always loved these two ladies, and is proud to be able to have Vivian and Nonie get married in a place where they have always been loved and accepted,” said the Reverend who presided over the ceremony.

The wedding prompted a wave of congratulations, as the couple received well wishes by phone and mail. They were overwhelmed by the unexpectedly positive response, as was Hunsaker, who said that no one has responded negatively. 

The Reverend said, “I’ve done a lot of weddings with some young people, and unfortunately I don’t think all those have lasted – and these two [Boyack and Dubes] are the ones that haven’t been able to have their relationship? They are the model people that we want to be able to lift up.”