A husband and wife that had been married for an astonishing 70 years have passed away just minutes apart at the age of 90.
Les and Freda Austin have “lived a full life together” and remained inseparable after seven decades of marriage.
The couple tied the knot in 1949 and got to see their two children, four grandkids, and eight great-grandkids grow up.
During their final moments at Henry Ford Allegiance, the couple stared at each other’s eyes as their final breath approached.
The first one to leave the world was Les who was followed by Freda just minutes later. As the family claimed, the couple were facing each other as they passed away.
“They did everything together. They didn’t stop with death. I think they knew each other was passing and they are eternally together. And I think it was beautiful,” the couple’s daughter, Sandy Maes, said in an interview with MLive.
As son Michael Austin added, “if they had to go, this way was about as romantic as you could get.”
The couple met in high school and instantly shared their passion for traveling and camping. Years later, they also got married and moved in together.
While Freda used to work as a manager at a cleaning business, Les had spent four decades serving in the US Air Force and contributed to the development of a crash reconstruction program.
“Together Les and Freda enjoyed traveling and camping throughout Michigan and focused their travels on lighthouse locations and the Upper Peninsula,” the obituary read.
While their marriage was filled with love, Freda and Les didn’t make it through without hardships. As granddaughter Leah Smith explained, Freda was extremely upset after Les decided to sign up for the Korean War without telling her about it first.
“Seventy years together sure isn’t easy … but at the end of those 70 years together, they still cared so deeply for each other and loved each other so, so very much,” she added.
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Replaced!