Cleovis and Arwilda Whiteside have been named Arkansas’ longest-married couple by Family Council, a pro-family organization based in Little Rock. The Whitesides have been married for 84 years and credit their marriage’s success to God.
Cleovis, aged 102, married Arwilda on July 24, 1939, in Clarendon, Arkansas, when he was 17. Arwilda, 98, was 13 when they married.
“We can hardly believe this is happening to us because we feel like we were the least, but God said, ‘No. You’ll glorify my name and love one another,’” Arwilda said of their marriage, according to KATV.
A private fish fry reception sponsored by the Family Council was organized for family and friends last weekend in Pine Bluff, where the couple was honored by the Family Council.
“We’re a nonprofit organization and we promote and protect traditional family values and we can’t think of any better way to promote traditional family values than to celebrate the Whiteside’s 84 years of marriage that has been God-centered,” Charisse Dean, project coordinator at Arkansas Family Council, said, adding that the Whitesides may even be America’s longest-married couple.
Since 2019, the Whitesides have been recognized as Arkansas’ Longest Married Couple. Arwilda and her friend Caroline were walking home from school when they met. As they neared home, some lads began to pursue them, and Caroline advised Arwilda to seek refuge with Cleovis. He shielded them, and the youngsters fled. Years later, Arwilda and Cleovis met at a church box lunch, where Caroline encouraged the two to marry.
The Whitesides are an inspiration to other couples and friends today since they have kept their marriage vow for decades. They expressed gratitude to everyone who attended the fish fry.