The Livengoods in old ageAfter 59 years of marriage, Margaret and Don Livengood spent their final few days together, side-by-side in a single hospital room, holding hands. When the end finally came, Don and Margaret passed away within a few short hours of one other.

The bittersweet ending came as no surprise to friends and family of the couple. Their daughter, Pattie Beaver, explains that throughout their lives the couple was inseparable and it was "normal to see them holding hands."

Pattie Beaver remembers clearly how special the two were to each other. "Mommy and Daddy fell in love with each other - over and over- for over 59 years. And still God renewed them each day, and it never got old."

The Livengoods beginning their marriage
Don and Margaret on their wedding day

She recounts how, upon laying eyes on Margaret for the first time, her father told his buddies that, "he planned to date that pretty young lady, and that [it'd] become his priority."

Their Secret to Success

Throughout their lives, Beaver remembers how her parents kept themselves busy as they created "an everlasting friendship, raised a family, and built a beautiful marriage."

When they both developed life-threatening conditions, Don and Margaret were hospitalized and placed on different floors. For anyone who knew them, it was clear this separation was unbearable.

Dr. Randy Schisler, the physician who treated the couple, remembers that "as soon as they moved farther apart, you could tell the toll it took." Apparently, the experience was especially hard on Don. "It was easy to see the anxiety and how nervous he felt, always wondering what was going on with his wife," Schisler explained.

Fortunately, he wasn't the only one to notice. The entire hospital staff recognized that the two belonged together. Although putting Don and Margaret in the same room would break hospital protocol, the nurses and doctors pulled some strings and eventually made it happen. In the words of Hospital Chaplain Beth Jackson-Jordan, "the need for them to be together overrode any of the other normal concerns".

An Example to Live By

In our current age of dating apps and hookup sites, the depth and sincerity of the connection between Margaret and Don Livengood seems like an aberration. While divorce rates have dropped significantly in recent years, the storybook marriage that they shared still appears a distant fantasy to many.

In that sense, Margaret and Don have provided an example to couples everywhere.

As part of their wedding vows, they promised each other "a lifetime of love and devotion". For 59 years, they delivered on that commitment to love and cherish one another. This connection remained unbroken even in the face of death.

Dying couple holding hands A Fitting End

A friend of the couple explained how Margaret stayed beside Don "even when she wasn't able to communicate I remember him holding her hand and everybody in the room could feel and see the connection. It was very touching to know they had journeyed their entire lives and as it came to the end of their lives, they were able to be together."

Don slipped away first, with Margaret following only a few hours behind. Perhaps he left a little earlier to make good on a promise uttered just moments before he died. Lying on the hospital bed, fingers entwined with hers, Don told Margaret: "When we get to heaven, we can walk in together, just like we're getting married again. Another honeymoon."

 

7 comments

  1. Father Jim's Avatar Father Jim

    This is a very touching story. It was heart warming and if everyone followed in their footsteps this would be a better place to live. It takes a lot of work by both individuals to stay married and in love with each other for that period of time. It is too easy to get divorced and walk away. You vow to stay together in sickness and health. A lot of people forget their vows. God bless all of you. Minister Jim.

  1. Diane Baum's Avatar Diane Baum

    Kathy Mattea wrote a song about this back in the 90"s. "Where Have You Been?" I don't understand why "hospital protocol" says that couples need to be kept separate. In the end, if this is what happens, I will instruct my adult children to never place me anywhere but at my sweet husband's side.

  1. Phill Salzman's Avatar Phill Salzman

    What a beautiful story. Few marriages are like this. We should all pay attention to how this couple lived, and try to model our lives after theirs so that we can live the same way. I am sure that the Almighty had a special place, and a special welcome, for such a fine couple. They can spend Eternity exploring together, and living as one. May they be a happy in Eternity as they were on earth.

  1. Wen's Avatar Wen

    Such a tender and sweet story. I too have parents who have an enduring marriage. They have been together and inseparable for 65 years. What a legacy that is to leave behind. Lessons about love, commitment, respect and selflessness.

  1. William Davis's Avatar William Davis

    Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, true love ? so sad to read but in a way so beautiful to have read it, thank you for posting this, Bill

  1. Dr. James Swienty DD R.T. (ARRT)'s Avatar Dr. James Swienty DD R.T. (ARRT)

    WHAT A BEAUTIFUL STORY

  1. Planetary Paul's Avatar Planetary Paul

    > "putting Don and Margaret in the same room would break hospital protocol"

    I'd say that any hospital that has this kind of protocol on the books has very serious humanity problems. Fortunately, this one was able to cut through its own cobwebs quickly enough to prevent major damage to its patients. I hope they started looking at the validity of the protocol itself as a result.

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