Couple who met as toddlers 82 years ago have been married for over 60 years: "That was special..."

One would barely believe that a couple would be together since their childhood, but Joel and Carolyn LaPray have a unique love story to share. The two have been together for 82 years and married for 64 of those.

They were neighbors when they were young and have a fascinating love story. When the two got married, he was 19 and she was 18, according to East Idaho News.com. Love is always the key to a long-lasting marriage and this pair has been together for as long as they can remember, having been introduced as toddlers and getting married as teens.

When they first met, Carolyn was only 14 months old and Joel was 23 months old. They grew close and even had a photo of themselves taken in 1941 or 1942, just before the war, as they remember. Both families left West Idaho, where they had lived before World War II, to live elsewhere. They ran into each other again once everything was over and both families settled in Logan, Utah. Yet, given that they preferred playing with children of the same sex this time around, Joel and Carolyn did not become friends as quickly as they had in the past.

Anyone would wish to know what lessons and cues to follow to be in a successful relationship forever, as there are rarely couples who have known each other since childhood. The couple claimed that compromise is the key to a long and happy marriage. “Compromise. We each have different opinions, we compromise. We do it her way,” quipped Joel. Carolyn added during the interview, “If mama’s happy, everybody’s happy,” following which Joel said, “If papa’s not happy, nobody cares!” 

During their high school sophomore year, they reconnected with one another when Joel asked Carolyn to attend the military ball with him. Joel recalls thinking, "I kinda like her, I think I'm going to marry her someday," he tells the interviewer, about the time he learned he liked Carolyn. Joel felt Carolyn found him dull, even though she liked him as well. Afterward, she acknowledged that this was accurate, but only because Joel hardly spoke to her the whole evening. The two reunited in their senior year of high school on a greater level. They started dating each other while they were in their final year of high school. They developed a love for one another. By the conclusion of their first year at Utah State University, they were engaged.

They were certain that they wanted to wed and today they are indeed commemorating their 64th anniversary. When Joel's mother learned of their engagement, she dug up a photo of the two of them as little children. She asked a friend to colorize the black-and-white image. They liked it so much that they used it to decorate their wedding cake, shared Carolyn. "Joel and Carolyn, their first date," was written beneath the image. She swells up with joy and pride remarking, "That was special, too."