Long Island couple Leroy and Julia Kayser set to celebrate 80th wedding anniversary
EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. -- A Long Island couple is achieving a rare monumental milestone this week -- 80 years of marriage.
On Thursday, they shared their secret with CBS New York and explained that as young teens they knew that they were made for each other.
"There really wasn't a wedding. We eloped," 96-year-old Julia Kayser said. "He was 18. I was 16."
"We were teenagers," 98-year-old Leroy said. "We didn't ask permission of our parents."
They grew up in Coney Island, a block from each other.
"A date was a 5-cent soda," Leroy said.
And they never dated anyone else. They'd fallen in love.
"We were just coming out of The Depression," Leroy said.
And wanted to pledge a lifetime bond.
"Then the war came, and so he went into the Merchant Marine and I got a job soldering wires for Navy phones for ships," Julia said.
"I served in the Mediterranean theatre," Leroy said.
When World War II ended, Julia worked for the Brooklyn District Attorney. Leroy worked for Federated Department Stores. They had two children and are now great-grandparents.
"We plagiarize from an old Johnny Mercer song: 'Accentuate the positive; eliminate the negative.' That's our goal," Leroy said.
They said even at their ages, goals remain important.
"We are not couch potatoes," Leroy said. "We do get outside and get our old bones moving, with rakes and shovels. We try to keep our property clean and neat."
They said friends and relatives always drop by.
According to the National Center for Family and Marriage Research, only one-tenth of 1% of couples in the U.S. have been married at least 70 years.
Now imagine 80 years for the Kaysers.
Recently, Leroy lost much of his eyesight to macular degeneration, so together they switched to audio books.
"Biographies and histories, that's what keeps us interested," Leroy said.
"The best book we had was Michelle Obama," Julia said.
When asked about meals, Julia said, "I cook. I still cook."
Despite having a dishwasher, they do it by hand.
"And certainly between spouses, compromise is a beautiful word," Leroy said.
A lesson for us all.
"Compromise. Loyalty. Communication" is Leroy and Julia's motto.
The still volunteer in their community, together.