Til Death Do Us Part: Elderly Couple Dies Holding Hands

Gordon, 94, and Norma Yeager, 90, of Des Moines, Iowa, were married for 72 years. According to a local report, from high school onward they wanted to be together forever. On Earth, they got about as close to "forever" as any human couple could ask for, and last week they died an hour apart while holding hands with each other.

Watch the local KCCI-TV report from Kansas City, Iowa:

KCCI reports the couple's son, Dennis Yeage,  as saying the couple was in a car accident last Wednesday, which put them in intensive care. Nurses did not separate the couple. Gordon died first but, as Dennis says in the news clip, Gordon's heart monitor was still registering a beat. This is because the monitor was picking up Norma's heart beat through Gordon's hand. Norma died an hour later:

"Staying together for 72 years is good, I'd say that's exceptional," said daughter Donna Sheets.

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"Neither one of them would've wanted to be without each other. I couldn't figure out how it was going to work," said Donna Sheets. "We were very blessed, honestly, that they went this way."

KCCI reports that the couple was buried holding hands in their casket on Monday.