Centenarian Couple Reveals Hershey’s Chocolate Is the Secret of 79-Year Marriage

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A lovely couple of centenarians celebrated their 79^th wedding anniversary earlier in May. And the secret to their long and happy marriage, revealed by their daughter, is a bit surprising: Hershey’s chocolate bars every day.

Curtis and Virginia Peters are still deeply in love even after nearly eight decades of marriage. Their daughter Susan Peters Cathoir, the fourth of five children, now aged between 65 and 77, attributes their lasting love to the chocolatey treat.

“Hershey’s chocolate just keeps him alive, and he keeps her alive,” Cathoir told Today. “He shares it with her all the time—he shares everything with her and she with him. When he drinks something, he shares it.”

Curtis, now 100, and Virginia, 103, first met as college students while attending the University of Northern Iowa, now known as State Teachers College. They got married in 1940 and started their family and a family business, running a printshop in Waterloo, Cathoir explained. They lived in a home above the shop. It was truly a family endeavor.

The life they shared has always included Hershey’s. There were always Kisses in bowls in the house and candy bars in the kitchen. They would even melt down bars and dip it in icecream.

“They love the Hershey’s. It melts in their mouth just the way [sic] want it,” said Cathoir.

The family even took a vacation to Hersheypark together, hopping on a bus for Hershey, Pennsylvania, in the late 50s.

Now, Curtis and Virginia live in Geneseo, Illinois, where they can see their kids more often. Yet, their love of chocolate continues—and their children continue to fuel that love, which they say keeps them alive.

“I keep a pack in the freezer and go and give them one every day,” Cathoir shared. “I always leave chocolate in their drawer so in case I can’t make it or I’m late, one of the [nurses] can make sure they still get it.”

Faith is another thing that the couple share; Cathoir says that they “pray a lot and they love.” It’s fondness for each other that they have always had.

The Peters were joined by family members for their 79^th anniversary celebration, where everyone helped themselves to Hershey’s bars. The couple were also congratulated by Hershey’s senior brand director Ian Norton.

“Mr. and Mrs. Peters are a true testament to living a life full of love and warmth, together, for nearly 80 years,” Norton told Today. “We are honored to learn that they choose to share Hershey’s chocolate to have a heartwarming connection each and every day of their lives.”

A Hershey’s spokesman also revealed that a special care package filled with chocolate treats was headed their way in honor of their anniversary, and the love of chocolate that they share.