LARGO, Fla. — April 16, 2020, will mark a special day for Joan and Don Carroll.
“This will be the first anniversary we have ever spent apart,” Joan said.
The Largo couple will celebrate 70 years of marriage from separate buildings. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, they are forced to be apart. Don is a resident at Oak Manor Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Largo while Joan is at another local assisted living community.
Joan was a regular visitor at Oak Manor, driving over to spend time with her husband, but her visits were suddenly put to a halt when hospitals and other businesses changed visitor restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
That hasn’t halted the connection.
“I can’t believe that 70 years ago we were married. 1950! April 16,” Joan said in a recorded message for Don from her home.
The couple has been communicating through video chats and photos.
“We had such a wonderful life,” she continued, holding up a cake topper from their wedding and a tattered first-anniversary card. “We’ve done so much but I happen to have some mementos here. This was on our wedding cake. I’ve kept it all these years in a safe place. And then Don, when we had our first anniversary, I have your card here. In it, you’ve signed it, ‘Your loving husband.' I’ve loved you many, many years. I loved you so much when we got married but since the years have gone by, I loved you more and more.”
As she endures the wait to see him again, Joan shares memories of their wedding day -- their $7 wedding day.
Joan says her wedding was memorable and inexpensive.
“The $7 wedding, at least that’s what I called it,” Joan said. “I bought blue satin for my wedding dress, $4, and paid a lady $3 to make it. One of the ladies who worked with me, her husband was a baker and baked our wedding cake for, you guessed it, $7, and my wedding band cost $7.”
With FaceTime calls coordinated by the activities team at Oak Manor, Joan and Don connect regularly, and their love has even been displayed publicly on Facebook after a photo was posted of Don holding a sign that read, “Joan and Girl, I love and miss you all. God is good every day.”
Joan, being savvy with her iPhone, commented on the post, “Love you too Don. Since we both are on lockdown, hope to get back to seeing you on Tuesdays and Thursdays again ASAP. Your wife of soon-to-be 70 years.”
Social distancing will not allow them to be together but the staff at Oak Manor cropped together a photo of Don and Joan at her request and posted it on its Facebook page.
“I sure would like to get a picture side by side for our 70th wedding anniversary," the post read.
Joan collects cake toppers for each milestone anniversary and was having a difficult time getting her hands on one while quarantined. Oak Manor was able to order one and safely deliver it to Joan as a keepsake the day before their anniversary.
“We have four wonderful daughters and our life has been so happy,” Joan said.
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