Gordon and Norma Yeager, aged 94 and 90 respectively, were married for 72 years. They were inseparable and deeply in love with each other during those seven decades. They died an hour apart last week in a hospital. There was some confusion when Gordon left because his heart monitor continued to pulse -- but that was because he was holding hands with Norma. Her heartbeat could be felt through his body:
Link -via Kottke | Photo: Yeager Family
"It was really strange, they were holding hands, and dad stopped breathing but I couldn't figure out what was going on because the heart monitor was still going," said Dennis Yeager. "But we were like, he isn't breathing. How does he still have a heart beat? The nurse checked and said that's because they were holding hands and it's going through them. Her heart was beating through him and picking it up."
"They were still getting her heartbeat through him," said Donna Sheets.
At 4:38 p.m., exactly one hour after Gordon died, Norma passed too.
Link -via Kottke | Photo: Yeager Family
I had the pleasure of personally knowing the couple in this article during their last years. It was also the most amazing thing!
It is sweet that they were together so long and were able to 'go out' together. Not so sweet the whys and hows. :(
Except of course for the 64-yr-old woman with the broken neck.
Then the accident that caused their deaths - just so very sad.