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Belgium's longest married couple died on same day

Xinhua, July 19, 2016 Adjust font size:

The longest married couple in Belgium passed away together on Sunday, just five days after celebrating their 77th wedding anniversary, local media reported.

Maurice Weewauters, 101 and Victorine De Kerpel, 96 had been living with each other since 1939 in the Flemish Region of Belgium. On July 12, they celebrated their 77th wedding anniversary in a nursing home in Zeveneken, a small village near Belgian northwestern city of Ghent.

Just five days after the celebration, Victorine passed away, and a few hours later, followed her husband.

"Their death has really touched us, but it is after all nice to go together on the same day," Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad (the newspaper) quoted the staff at the nursing home as saying.

Maurice and Victorine met in a textile factory in Oudenbos where they both worked. During the Second World War, Maurice was conscripted and had to leave his wife and daughter Monique. After the war was over, their son Roger was born.

According to Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws (the latest news), Victorine has lost sense of what is happening around her since 80, said their son Roger. But his father managed to remain some consciousness until his death. Endit