Kentucky Great-Grandparents Who Divorced 50 Years Ago to Remarry

Great-grandparents who divorced 50 years ago are getting married again, to spend their last years united.

If the third time is the charm, then the fourth ought to be downright perfect.

Harold Holland, 83, and Lillian Barnes, 78, got a divorce in 1967. They each married two more times and outlived their respective spouses. Fifty years later, they will say "I do" again, this time to each other.

Grandson Joshua Holland, 34, will perform the ceremony at a Baptist church in Kentucky on April 14.

"It's a beautiful story, it's a powerful story," he said. "Even for us, the family members who are living it, it's amazing."

Harold and Lillian got hitched in 1955 and had five children — Miriam, Timothy, Mark, Laura and Larry. Their divorce was Harold's fault, he readily admits, according to his grandson.

"He worked like a madman," Joshua said, adding that when they split up, "He literally gave her everything.

"It was his fault. He worked hard, but that didn't build a strong marriage."

Harold and Lillian, speaking to InsideEdition.com while seated on a couch in their home, demurely denied comment when asked how the divorce was Harold's fault.

"I don't want to go into all the details," he said. "She's forgiven me."

Lillian just smiled.

"We're very happy," he added.

"We're fine," she chimed in.

She is going to wear a long, white and lavender dress at the ceremony. He will don a suit. "No tux," he said.

They will be walked down the aisle by their 18-year-old special needs great-grandson. "He acts more like 10," Harold said. He's a good, sweet boy, his great-grandpa added.

The festivities will be low-key, with mostly just family, which includes 18 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren.

"We were married for 12 years, we had five kids," Harold said. "She remarried and I remarried, and both our spouses passed away."

In a series of recent family reunions and holiday celebrations, "one thing led to another" and the couple decided to get hitched again.

And that's about all Harold will say on the matter. A gentleman does not kiss and tell. Lillian, looking at her ex-and-future husband, smiled again.

Grandson Joshua said Harold consulted him about popping the question. How will their children and step-children react? What if someone gets upset?

Harold said he replied, "Grandpa, I'd just go for it. Why wait? You haven't got that much time, to be honest. 

"Y'all just need to go for it, to enjoy this life, until the Lord calls you home."

Fifty years since signing divorce papers, Harold's grandparents are acting like smitten teenagers. "It's super mushy," he said. "It's like they're kids in love."

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