Lifestyle

Texas Couple Finally Gets Married After Dating for 41 Years

By Margo Gothelf 2 min read

# 41 years
# Bill and Linda Bownds
# dating

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEGOBmon9Y4

After four decades spent dating, one couple from Texas has finally decided to tie the knot.

Bill and Linda Bownds have been dating for 41 years and finally said, “I do” this past November. Bill Bownds proposed to his fiancé on the 41st anniversary of their first date, finally taking their relationship to the next level.

Bill and Linda Bownds met when he was working as a PE teaching at her daughters’ school. They never had a real reason to put off marriage, it just wasn’t a priority right away.

According to ABC News, the couple was living about an hour away from each other when they first met. After that, Bill Bownds started a new company, allowing him to only see Linda Bownds on the weekends.

“I figured when it was the right time it would happen,” Linda Bownds said to People. “I just didn’t think it would be 41 years.”

While marriage wasn’t on the top of the list for Linda and Bill Bownds, it was for Bill’s mother, Kay, who is now 96 years old.

“Bill’s mom always said to him, ‘Oh Bill, why aren’t you and Linda getting married?’ and talked to him about it all the time,” Linda Bownds said to ABC News.

Now that the couple is retired, they are spending more time together and decided the timing was perfect for a wedding.

“I looked into it and it turned out we could get married at the Montgomery County courthouse for $31. It’s less than a mile from my house,” Linda Bowndssaid to ABC News. “I told Bill and he said, ‘That’s pretty cheap.’ He didn’t know he also had to buy the rings, though.”

After the private ceremony, the newlyweds shared their secret and celebrated with about 50 family members last weekend.

“I was ecstatic when I heard the news,” Tracy Moore Winters, Linda’s daughter, told ABC News. “I’ve always thought of Bill as being my dad as he’s raised me as his daughter and now it’s official. I’m so happy for both of them and very excited for this Christmas, as we will finally be a family.”

After the wedding, Bill and Linda Bownds moved in together, ready to embrace the next phase of their lives.

“We have what’s called impartial love,” Bill Bownds said to Texas television station KHOU. “We care about each other first I think and that makes a big difference.”