Nothing could keep Floyd and Violet Hartwig apart, not even death.
The couple were married for 67 years, and refused to be separated moments before their death. They died holding hands, only five hours apart at their home in Easton, California.
The Fresno Bee shared the news of the Hartwigs' romantic farewell, revealing that Floyd, 90 held on to his wife's hand until he took his last breath, and Violet, 89 followed him five hours later.
"We felt blessed because we knew that's what they wanted," their daughter Donna Scharton said.
The couple first met back in elementary school, but love only blossomed in the 1940s when Floyd was on leave from the Navy during World War II. While Floyd was away, they would write letters to each other.
"Love you my dearest and want you so. Vi, I heard our song this evening and it sure did make me homesick for you. Honey, did you ever get a record of it? I certainly hope so as I want to listen to it and have you in my arms at the same time," wrote Floyd.
They got married in August 1947 and were blessed with three children. The two had a happy marriage, but during their later years, Floyd was diagnosed with cancer and kidney failure while Violet suffered from dementia.
Their daughter recalled how the couple would often look out for each other. Despite his own sickness, Floyd would often tell doctors, "I'm okay, I want Vi fixed."
"You had a sense that they had a connection, and I think that connection just came more and more and especially in the last months of their lives," said Scharton.
She added that when they went to the funeral home, they saw two caskets. "It was meant to be," she said. "And that's the only way it could end."
