True Love! Couple forced apart as teens by religious parents finally get married 70 years later

Two childhood sweethearts who were torn apart in their teens have finally tied the knot - 70 years later.

Ed Sellers, 88, fell for Katie Smith, 89, aged 14 when she moved into the house next door to his in the early 1940s.

He asked her out with a handwritten note and they courted or three years but the relationship ended when Katie's strict religious parents banned them from going on dates.

She moved to another town and they met new partners, both getting married in 1946 and living happy lives.

But despite having no contact for seven decades, they never forgot each other.

After their spouses passed away, the long-lost lovers reconnected and over the course of 18 months, slowly rekindled their romance.



On Sunday, retired truck driver Ed and former seamstress Katie - both of whom are great grandparents - tied the knot.

The elderly lovebirds said their vows while sitting in rocking chairs because they wouldn't be able to stand long enough, surrounded by family and friends.
 Katie's granddaughter Stefanie Helsel, 35, said:

"The only reason their relationship ended all those years ago was because her parents were extremely strict."Ed wanted to take her to the movies but it absolutely wasn't allowed"They ended it because it couldn't progress."When they came back together it was natural."There was never any awkwardness. My grandmother said there was never a moment where it felt like there was ever any gap in time."She said it really feels as though everything has fallen into place."It is wonderful that they have found each other again."

 

Ed was married to wife Dot for 67 years and had two sons, while Katie was married to husband Cecil, a war vet, for 54 and had three children.

They say they were both "in love" - but tragically in 2000, Cecil died of cancer and four years ago, Dot passed away from Alzheimer's.


It wasn't until 2015 that grief-stricken Ed decided to track Katie down.