Couple with 37 great-grandchildren celebrate 75 years of marriage: 'We've had a pretty good life'

"We've had a pretty good life," Marie Nowell, 89, told ABC News.

ByABC News
August 16, 2017, 4:44 PM

— -- A husband and wife in Missouri are celebrating 75 years of marriage with their growing family.

Robert Nowell, 93, and Marie Nowell, 89, of Portageville, Missouri, had an early anniversary party with on Aug. 12. They wed on on Aug. 22, 1942, in Caruthersville, Missouri, and had seven children together.

"We had quite a few people, and everything turned out all right," Marie Nowell told ABC News of her anniversary celebration. "It was nice, and we enjoyed it. We've had a pretty good life."

PHOTO: Robert Nowell, 93, and Marie Nowell, 89, of Portageville, Missouri, have seven children, 20 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren
Robert Nowell, 93, and Marie Nowell, 89, of Portageville, Missouri, have seven children, 20 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren

Robert and Marie Nowell met at a street carnival in Missouri, according to their son Anthony Norwell, 59.

The couple married in 1942 and later became parents to Robert, Donnie, M. Janet, Patricia, Ricky, Anthony and Michael.

Their daughter Patricia Silman said her dad worked as a heavy equipment operator for Missouri and her mother sold Blair home products such as cake flavorings, in a bread truck. After the Nowells retired, they worked hard opening a bargain shop where they sold salvaged car parts, clothing and household items.

PHOTO: Robert Nowell, 93, and Marie Nowell, 89, of Portageville, Missouri, had an early anniversary party with their family on Aug. 12 in Missouri
Robert Nowell, 93, and Marie Nowell, 89, of Portageville, Missouri, had an early anniversary party with their family on Aug. 12 in Missouri

Robert and Marie Nowell now have 20 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

Their family was there to celebrate their wedding anniversary last weekend.

As for being married for three-quarters of a century, Silman and Anthony Nowell agreed that their parents have taken the good with the bad.

PHOTO: Nowell, 93, and Marie Nowell, 89, of Portageville, Missouri, married on Aug. 22, 1942, in Caruthersville, Missouri, and had seven children.
Nowell, 93, and Marie Nowell, 89, of Portageville, Missouri, married on Aug. 22, 1942, in Caruthersville, Missouri, and had seven children.

"I do believe that they honestly love each other, and that's with any marriage, but I'm sure there were the days that they couldn't get enough of each other and days they'd like to choke each other," Anthony Nowell said with a laugh.

"As far as having secrets about it, I don't think they do have any secrets," Silman Nowell, 67, said. "They make it work, and they don't give [up]."

Marie Nowell said she is looking forward to many more years with her husband.