To 99-year-old Luther Younger, his wife Waverlee is โthe sweetest cup of tea he ever had.โ
The Rochester, New York couple have been married for 55 years.
And in those five decades of marriage, Luther has developed a deep devotion to his wife.
So much so that the almost centenarian walks six miles every single day to visit his wife in the hospital.
It doesnโt matter what kind of weather there is.
Rain, heat, snowโฆ he is walking to the hospital to see his wife.
โI want to see my wife,โ he told ABC 13 WHAM. โI love my wife. She made a man out of me. She made me more than I ever could be.โ
Waverlee was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2009 and has been in and out of hospitals ever since.
And on those days Luther makes sure he sees his wife.
Waverlee has been in the hospital for the last two weeks during her most recent hospital stay,
Luther could wait for his daughter to give him a ride or even take the bus but he doesnโt want to.
โMy dadโs always walked. He says he does it to stay alive,โ says Luthta Younger. โHe still says, โnope I have to get out there to my wife. I have to go.โโ
People often offer him rides but he declines them.
Luther, a Marine who fought in the Korean War, told CBS News that walking helps to clear his mind.
He also grew up in Texas so heโs used to the heat.
โYou see, Iโm not humped over like those guys out here โ the old guys,โ Luther told Spectrum News Rochester.
People tell Luther to act his age, but he wonโt have any of that talk.
โTheyโre jealous because I donโt drink, I donโt smoke, because itโs no good. I wouldnโt be here [if I did],โ he told CBS.
Luther became a local celebrity because of his walks and eventually, his story went viral. But heโs not talking the press to brag about his physical fitness.
Itโs all about his wife.
โI donโt want to talk about nothing except my wife,โ he told a reporter for CBS. โShe is a beautiful lady and she treats me as a person is supposed to be โฆ she made a man out of me. Thatโs why I love her because sheโs tough. Sheโs not weak โฆ Thatโs the kind of woman I want.โ
The couple met in a laundromat and got married at their home. Luther still talks about how beautiful his wife looked on their wedding day.
The couple has one child together and she also helped him to raise children from a previous relationship.
โShe wasnโt easy. She was the type of person, if you didnโt work, you got to go. And I had to work,โ he told me. โThatโs why Iโm sticking with her, because if it hadnโt been for my wife, I wouldnโt have made it.โ
Lutheta says his fatherโs love for his mother has never ever changed.
โHeโs always cared about her the way he does [now]. He loves my mom, Heโll do anything for her,โ she said.
Though heโs sad to leave his wife at the hospital after their visit, he knows heโll see her again the next day. Those who would like to contribute to the familyโs hospital expenses can do so here.
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