Preloading

The Romance That Sustained 45 Years of Marriage

Aired on 02/12/1988 | CC
You'll be reaching for a tissue once you witness this utterly charming couple of 45 years expressing their unwavering love for each other and how their marriage thrived for nearly half a century.

On Valentine's Day weekend in 1988, Oprah hosted the first annual Husband of the Year contest, the ultimate celebration of the most inspiring love stories. The beaming wives of 25 finalists read excerpts from letters they had written to Oprah to nominate their husbands for the contest.

Marian Crandall, overwhelmed with tears of joy, described how her husband, Bob, brought her a hand-picked bouquet of pussy willows at first bloom every spring without fail as a symbol of his enduring love for her. When Oprah asked Bob why he loved his wife so completely, he said, "She gave me four beautiful children, and she keeps our marriage full of surprises. Every day is a new thing, and to me she's a 10 in all respects."

Find out how Bob took his tender tradition one surprising step further with a move that made Marian's heart do "flip-flops."