Couple, 88 and 89, Marries More Than 7 Decades After Dating During Teenage Years

They both had life-long marriages.

A North Carolina woman took a walk down memory lane — and the aisle — when she married her teenage sweetheart after decades apart.

Katie Smith, 89, and Ed Sellers, 88, first met when they were just 15 and 14 years old after Sellers and his family moved next door to Smith.

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“He said he just noticed her and thought she was beautiful and carried herself differently,” Stefanie Helsel, Smith’s granddaughter, told InsideEdition.com. “They started going to church together.”

The pair began dating, but because of Smith’s strict religious upbringing, all of their meetings were chaperoned.

“Their dating consisted of them sitting in her parent’s living room on the couch. Her sister had to sit on the couch with them,” Helsel said. “They tried to be the ones the last ones off the church bus so they could spend more time together but someone was always watching."

The courtship lasted three years, but when Sellers wanted to have more outings with his long-time girlfriend, Smith’s parents would not allow it and the couple split.

Both Sellers and Smith went on to marry other people in 1964 and had life-long marriages. Smith’s husband passed away 17 years ago from cancer and Sellers’ wife died four years ago.

Smith spent 17 years living independently, but Sellers never forgot about her. More than a year ago, he finally mustered the courage to call Smith. 

Sellers drove from his home in Kannapolis to Stanley, where Smith lives, just to get a phone book with her number in it. Once he drove back home, he finally called her.

He called several more times before getting in touch with his long-lost sweetheart, but it was worth the wait.

“She finally picked up and they talked for a while and she agreed to meet with him and catch up,” Helsel said.

And the rest is history.

The pair was married in a beautiful ceremony with 200 guests on July 16. Smith’s great granddaughters served as bridesmaids. The couple also had an honorarium table for their late spouses.

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“She was thrilled. It couldn’t have been more adorable,” Helsel said of her grandmother. "It was really awesome to see her be happy and getting a second chance at companionship.”

The pair now lives in Smith’s home, but uses Seller’s home as a getaway house.

“She should be able to enjoy the golden years of her life,” Helsel added.

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