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PrintThe Missourian interviewed 10 senior citizens with more than 400 combined years of marriage among them, and we've compiled a list of the 10 tips they shared. Read all 10 lessons in a single story.
8. Be prepared to work hard
When she was 13 years old, Yvette Elmore had to quit school so she could work in a garment factory to help her mother support her family.
Since she was so young, she didn’t sew clothes but instead worked in the finishing department, preparing items for shipping.
"I haven’t done anything special," Yvette said. "I just grew up before my time, got married young, had two girls and raised them."
She married her husband, Ray, when she was just a few months shy of 17. The wedding took place in the minister's living room because the couple didn’t have a lot of money, she recalled.
During World War II, she worked at the Defense Department while Ray was stationed in Florida.
Although Elmore missed Ray, she kept busy working and raising her two girls.
Feel like giving back? Share your own advice. What lessons on love have you learned? Share them in the comment section below the story.
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