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What's Right with Tampa Bay: Local couple's secret to 7-decade marriage
Mark Wilson reports
TAMPA, Fla. - Donald and Doris Gilliland have quite the love story.
The couple who are 93 and 92 years old have been married for 73 years.
"Great! We can get along," shared Doris Gilliland. "No fighting."
They met in the 9th grade in Indiana and have been together ever since.
"Walked up and started talking. Yeah. And we went out on our first date. It was a basketball game," shared Donald Gilliland.
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They bounced to the altar and got married in 1950. Donald Gilliland worked for the railroad for 60 years before retiring.
"Worked on the railroad as a conductor. That's about it," he said.
They moved to Brookdale Palmer Ranch Assisted Living Facility in Sarasota after they retired.
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"Her folks live down here and we’d come down to visit them. And then after we retired, we moved down." Donald explained.
They're advice for a successful marriage.
"I have no idea," admitted Donald Gilliland.
But Doris has an answer.
"Ha, ha just do what you're told," she said.