Elderly couple married for 74 years die just hours apart

'The more I began to think about it, I began to smile because of how much they loved each other'

Leonard and Hazel Cherry married after meeting at high school in Texas (KWTX)

An elderly couple who met as teenagers and were married for 74 years died within hours of each other.

Leonard and Hazel Cherry, aged 95 and 93 respectively, met a high school in Texas and married in January 1942. They had one son, David, and one grandson, Craig.

Mr Cherry served in the US airforce during the Second World War before running a car repair shop, and the couple retired to the town of Woodway.

While Mr Cherry had been in the care of a hospice for several weeks, Mrs Cherry remained in good health and lived in a nursing home until the day she died.

Mr Cherry died first at 1pm on Thursday last week and his wife passed away at 11pm later that day. It was not immediately clear what had caused her death, CNN reported. They had spent time together in the days leading up to their deaths.

Their son David said their love had remained strong until the end and said they were "always smiling" about something.

"I feel blessed that Daddy's suffering is over, and I feel blessed that Mom is with him and that she didn't have to live alone," he said.

"Mother had been driving around town and still going to the grocery store as recently as two weeks ago, but dad's health had been failing for some years.

"It's kind of hard you know, you can't pick up the phone and call them anymore, or call mother and can't go by and see dad.

"The more I began to think about it, I began to smile because of how much they loved each other."

A memorial service for the couple will be held on Friday in Texas.