Jean Owen, 88 years old, and Robert Tharp, 97 years old, got married on the groom's 97th birthday. The couple decided to elope to make their romance official, making the wedding a surprise for friends and family.
The two have known each other for 30 years, but the relationship was one of friendship. They were close because Robert was married to Jean's sister, meaning they were in-laws. The closeness began when they spent holidays together with their respective spouses.
After Robert's wife and Jean's husband passed away, the friendship continued. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the two began spending more time together, and the relationship became romantic. Since then, both of their children started asking when the two would get married.
The wedding finally happened, and the date choice was no coincidence: it coincided with Robert's 97th birthday, marking the beginning of a new phase in the couple's life.
