Some people marry for convenience. Some people marry out of obligation.
Others marry for love.
Floyd and Violet Hartwig were a couple that married for love.
They loved each other so much that they even died holding hands.
“They wanted to go together,” daughter Donna Scharton said. “It was meant to be that way.”
The Hartwigs were married for 67 years.
They met when they were children living in Easton, a central California farming community.
Floyd left home to serve in the Navy.
He reunited with Violet at a local dance when he returned and was home on shore leave.
It wasn’t long before they were married on Aug. 16, 1947.
After they were married, Floyd had to go back to his duties in the Navy.
However, he made sure to constantly write his new bride love letters.
When Floyd returned from the Navy, he and Violet lived on their farm growing cotton and raising turkeys.
He and Violet raised their three children on that farm.
“They were dedicated to each other,” Scharton said.
“Even other people who met them said they had that connection.”
The Hartwigs went on to have four grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
They lived a happy life with their large family.
Then their health began to decline in 2015.
Violet suffered from dementia which began to worsen around Christmas of that year.
A month later doctors told Floyd, who was in pain and barely able to walk, that his kidneys were failing and that he only had about two weeks to live.
“He would tell the doctor, ‘I’m okay I just want her fixed’,” Scharton said.
“That was his concern; not how bad his pain was, but that he wanted my mom fixed.”
Couches were moved out of their living room and hospice beds were moved in.
Floyd was in a lot of pain when he passed.
And their children tell that “it’s getting close.”
So, their family made sure to push the beds together so that the couple could be close to one another.
Floyd passed away holding hands with his wife.
At that point, Violet’s family said it was OK if she wanted to go with him.
Though she wasn’t very coherent, they told her that her husband was waiting for her.
Violet passed away just five hours later.
Floyd and Violet’s story ended up going viral and they were dubbed “the real-life ‘Notebook’ couple.”
“They never, ever asked for anything,” Scharton said.
“All they ever wanted was their family and it was amazing that they got that in the end.”
Though they are sad to see their parents go, the Hartwigs’ children said they have amazing memories of their parent’s love.
Goodbye kisses every morning and cute nicknames like “Blondie,” which is what Floyd called Violet because of her pretty blonde hair and blue eyes.
What’s even more amazing is that the couple grew even closer in their final months together.
Learn more about the Hartwigs’ incredible love story in the video below.
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