Couple Married 71 Years Dies Days Apart, Leaving Legacy of Love for Family and Friends
A couple in Fort Meade, Fla. died within days of each other after 71 years of marriage. Myrtle Birdsong passed away one week ago, and her husband Herbert "Arno" died just days later, both from heart failure, which their family attributes to a broken heart.
"I truly believed they both did die from broken hearts," daughter Melanie Justice told Bay News 9. "They did tell him that she had died and there was a tear that came out."
Then, two days later, Herbert passed away as well. The two had a joint funeral, with family and friends remembering their love for one another, as well as their love for God and the church.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"It was always for someone else," granddaughter Sherri Hanson told The Ledger. "Myrtle always had her mind on someone else. And then, when she would pray, she would ask God to help her be more giving. Even with all she gave, she wanted to give more."
Myrtle served as the First Church of God's Sunday school teacher and choir director for over 25 years and often sang at people's weddings. Herbert also attended the First Church of God and often worked with Myrtle on projects within the church. He was a World War II Army veteran and a member of the Lions Club.
"Arno could say a lot with a little," Reverend Randall Belcher said at the couple's service. "Myrtle could say a lot with a lot."
"If he had been a doctor, he would have been a perfect one. If he had been a pastor, he would have been a perfect one," friend Abiola Adeyemo said.
The couple are survived by their son Michael, daughters Julie and Melanie, five grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. Their love left a lasting legacy for their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
"I remember when I told my grandmother I was getting married and she said she had been praying for me to have a husband like that," granddaughter Sherri Hanson told Bay News. "So for someone to pray for me to have a marriage like theirs is unreal."
