Vernon Hills couple celebrates 75th wedding anniversary

VERNON HILLS, Ill. (WLS) -- A northwest suburban Vernon Hills couple is celebrating a rare milestone: 75 years of marriage.

Lawrence Gregory serenaded his wife, Genevieve, as the couple in their 90s shared their diamond anniversary with their family. It's clear they're as happy today as the day they met.

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"We're a little exhausted from all this excitement," Genevieve Gregory said. "We've never been married 75 years before."

The Gregorys met at a dance a month after Lawrence was discharged from the Navy.

"I walked across the floor with my eye on the girl in the middle, and finally got up there, 'Would you care to dance?'" Lawrence Gregory recalled. "She's looking out there (looks up and down), oh, okay."

It wasn't long before Lawrence knew Genevieve was the one.

"She was true blue, never had anybody's eyes but me, right?" Lawrence said before they shared a kiss.

The Gregorys credit their strong faith and shared hobbies, like golf, for maintaining a close bond.

"It's love and honor and respect," Genevieve Gregory said. "And respect, mainly, because if you don't have respect, you can't love. And we do love and respect each other. Not all the time, but most of it."

"They not only talk the talk, they walk the walk," said their daughter, Christine Gregory. "We grew up watching them and I'm proud of who I am because of them."

And they hope to see many more anniversaries in the future. The Gregorys renewed their vows Tuesday morning. And over the weekend, they had an anniversary party, celebrating with their five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.