Advice from Couple Married 81 Years

Proof that long-lasting love is possible!

John and Ann Betar eloped on Nov. 25, 1932 - because Ann's father had planned to marry her off to a man 20 years older. But she was in love with the boy who lived across the street, who drove her to school every day. 

And on Monday, they'll celebrate their 81st anniversary and become "the longest married couple" in America.

The day the couple tied the knot, the Great Depression was in full swing, "King Kong" hadn't hit movie theaters yet, and future U.S. President John F. Kennedy was just a high school student. 

Now, the Betars have 14 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. So what's the key to their happy marriage? 

John Betar says: "The key is to always agree with your wife."

John, 21, and Ann, 17, had to flee their homes in Bridgeport, Conn., for Harrison, N.Y., because Ann’s father wanted her to marry a different man 20 years her elder.

The young bride and groom actually had to flee their tight-knit Connecticut neighborhood because her father wanted her to wed another man.

Now he's 102 and she's 98. John Betar says that their family helped keep their bond strong. Last year he also let ABC News in on his a special mantra for a successful, long-lasting romance.

"Don't hold a grudge. Forgive each other. Live accordingly," he said.

“We are very fortunate," Ann Betar added. "It is unconditional love and understanding. We have had that. We consider it a blessing."

"Don't hold a grudge. Forgive each other. Live accordingly," John Betar says as advice for a long marriage.

The lovebirds live in a peaceful home off the Long Island Sound in Fairfield, Conn., not far from where they raised their five kids.

The Betars have 14 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. They lost one daughter and their only son within 15 years, which Ann Betar called the worst thing that can happen to a parent.

John Betar remembers the old times as he flips through a family photo album.

Through good times and bad, their love never went away.

The Worldwide Marriage Encounter, a Christian "marriage enrichment program," bestowed the unofficial title "longest married couple in the United States" on the happy couple in February. They were chosen after a review of several nominations submitted from across the country.

Representatives from the group gave the Betars a plaque and other gifts.