Forever Together: Missouri Couple Married 77 Years Rest in Peace Holding Hands in Same Casket.
When you truly care for someone, you naturally want what’s best for them. Real love is about putting the other person’s needs before your own. Every love story is special in its own way.
One story that has captured attention across the United States is the remarkable love between Raymond and Velva Breuer.
Raymond and Velva spent most of their lives together as a married couple. They grew up in the same town, attended the same elementary and high schools, and shared a deep bond from an early age.
One memorable moment in their story was when Raymond accidentally burned Velva with a hot poker, leaving her with a scar. During their 77th wedding anniversary celebration, Raymond jokingly said, “She married me to get even with me.”
Despite a rocky start, they tied the knot in 1940 in Phelps County, Missouri. Over the years, they had six children, 18 grandchildren, and so many great- and great-great-grandchildren that the family lost count. Their love for each other and their family amazed everyone who knew them.
Pastor Cheri Reisch shared that Raymond and Velva always sat in the front row of the church, holding hands and showing their deep love for each other. Despite their age, they stayed active and healthy, and both loved reading to keep their minds sharp.
When Velva had to go to a rehab center, Raymond couldn’t bear to be apart from her, so he joined her at Lenoir Woods Rehab Center.
Raymond’s son, Bobby Breuer, shared that his father once jokingly told a nurse that if he and Velva passed away close to each other, they should be buried in the same casket. The comment was overheard, and someone even asked the funeral director about it.
On August 4, Raymond passed away while holding Velva’s hand. Just 30 hours later, Velva followed him, passing away and reuniting with her sweetheart in heaven. Raymond was 97, and Velva was 96.
As the family prepared for the funeral, they remembered Raymond’s joke about being buried with Velva. They realized it would be a fitting way to keep them together forever. So, the couple was laid to rest in a single coffin, holding hands.
Though the family was heartbroken to lose them, they found comfort in knowing they were honoring their parents’ wish to be together, even in death.
