JACKSONVILLE, Florida. – An elderly couple from Jacksonville celebrated their 77th wedding anniversary on Friday.

The love story of John and Joan Herberg began in 1947 when Joan noticed John at a softball game.

The couple’s youngest son, Mark Herberger, told their story to News4JAX.

He said his mother’s best friend, Betty Lou, and her boyfriend Ray, another player on the softball team, were together. His mother asked, “Who’s that cute pitcher out there?”

So Ray and Betty Lou arranged a blind date and the couple have been inseparable for 77 years now.

“It’s like the Energizer bunnies. They just keep going,” Mark said. “Seventy-seven years, a lot of people don’t even live to be 77, let alone be married for 77 years.”

Mark said his parents taught him that the key to a successful and lasting marriage was “a lot of patience, a lot of communication and enjoying those special moments.”

John will be 100 in October and Joan is 98. They live in a senior living community in Jacksonville.

On their 75th wedding anniversary in 2022, John and Joan received an award from the Catholic Church recognizing them as the oldest living couple in the state of Florida.

We wish you all the best for your anniversary and many more to come!