(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Gailard and Margie Nelson celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary on the day of love – Valentine’s Day. The two met when they were 16 and 17 years old, outside a church in Iowa.

“I belonged to a church in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He belonged to a church in Harlan, Iowa. And every so often the young people would meet together at what they call the way of Convention Baptist Youth Fellowship,” Margie said.

Gailard turned to his friend to ask for help, on which girl he should ask out.

“Both girls, which [should] I chose,” Gailard said. “I would choose this one… I’ve been choosing her ever since, never wanted any other one.”

A kiss is shared between Margie and Gailard.

The sweethearts recalled their wedding ceremony on a very cold and icy day in Iowa.

“My sister made my gown, but it was very, very icy,” Margie said. “So for very many people to be there, it was a, uh, an honor because the roads were icy.”

Margie points at her wedding dress in a photograph of the two.

Margie laughed when she said their rehearsal meal included a sweet baked treat.

“At the rehearsal dinner, his sister-in-law said come out to the to the farm where his dad lived, and she prepared a meal and would you believe it, she had cinnamon rolls,” Margie said. “And that was our rehearsal meal.”

Each Valentine’s Day marks another year of the two celebrating their anniversary.

“He can’t drive anymore, but this the other night, he said that he couldn’t get a card, but he was thinking of our anniversary,” Margie said. “So that was important and a blessing.”

When asked their favorite things about each other, Gailard said it was Margie being a good cook. In response, Margie said, “he still loves me when I get mad at him.”

The couple had big smiles on their faces when recalling memories of each other.

Gailard and Margie are surrounded by a loving family with four children, 12 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

“Well, I think, we’ve had a wonderful marriage,” Gailard said. “Oh, we’ve had our disagreements and so forth, but it’s very good. It’s a wonderful family, they all married good people and we just have had a happy marriage.”

In the upcoming months, Margie and Gailard will turn 92 and 93 years old – living proof that love doesn’t age.