An Ohio couple celebrated their 79th wedding last month, and this week they celebrated their 100th birthday.
Family, friends, neighbors and church members joined the couple, at Eaton Road Church in Hamilton, Ohio where a joint birthday party was held. Junio Mallicot was born on July 13, 1922, while her husband, Hubert Mallicot, was born 10 days later, on July 23, 1922.
“We’ve been living together for 79 years and suddenly we’re 100,” Hubert Mallicott told Fox News Digital in a phone interview.
The longtime couple first met at Eton Road Church of God in 1941, which was under a different name at the time.
Hubert recalls, “After the service down the street…I went to an ice cream parlor, and there I met Junio and we had ice cream and we talked and spent the afternoon together, there were no cars or anything, so she went on her way and she went.” I, I kind of thought about how to make the connection, and decided that the church was the best place.”
He continued, “On Sunday, I went to church, and she was there, we sat together and talked and had a good relationship, we repeated the routine for a few weeks, and our first official meeting was at the local county fair.”
He added: “I didn’t really know what to do, I was barely 19, I was a young country man, and I thought, ‘She looks pretty in red,’ and I reached out, hugged her a little and gave her a kiss.”
Their friendship and romance continued to flourish for a year, and in November 1942 Hubert joined the United States Navy to fight in World War II, conducted his training at Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois, and then went to Newport, Rhode Island, for five months at a torpedo school.
“Time passed quickly, we needed to decide what to do, we decided it was time to get married,” Hubert said. “It was a very happy marriage.”
Junio spoke sporadically due to limited speech after suffering a stroke two years ago, but she confirmed that their marriage was a happy one and that they were on good terms.
Their daughter, Jo Mallicott, confirmed to Fox News Digital that she does not remember a single time her parents said a harsh word to each other.
Hubert said, “Our position was that you never hurt the one you love, and if you have a problem or a fight, talk about it, solve the problem and move on with your life.”
Hubert added: ‘My wife, with her musical background, was a choir director making cants for Christmas, and she did a really good job.
Hubert said he wasn’t sure why he and his wife were lucky enough to share their 100th birthday together, but their daughter Jo said it was probably in their genes.
The couple’s grandchildren take care of them, and Hubert noted that they have seven great-grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.