North Carolina couple married 65 years die same day

Jet, June 24, 2002

Sometimes the bond between a husband and wife can be so strong that nothing can sever it. Not even death itself.

Henry Flowers and Lossie Mae Horne Flowers of Wilson, NC, seemed to possess that special bond. The couple had been married for 65 years. And they both died only hours apart.

Both were battling serious illnesses and had been hospitalized at Wilson Memorial Medical Center in Wilson, NC, at the time of their deaths. Lossie, 79, who had degenerative breast cancer, died at 1:15 on a Sunday morning. Henry, 89, who had a severe case of gangrene and recently underwent the amputation of his second leg, died nearly 15 hours later at 4 p.m.

Ruby Batts, one of the couple's daughters, told the Wilson Daily Times that when her father learned of his wife's death, he began to scream and cry, saying, "Well, my time's not far off then."

Mr. Flowers was born July 8, 1912, in Robeson County, NC, where he attended school and learned to farm. Mrs. Flowers was born Dec. 27, 1922, in Wilson County, NC, and was a life-long resident. The two met when Mr. Flowers moved to Wilson County in search of work opportunities. The couple married and had 18 children (eight are deceased).

Mrs. Flowers, a homemaker, worked alongside her husband on their farm until their later years, when the two moved to the city of Wilson, where they remained until their deaths.

The long-married couple is survived by seven daughters and a grand-daughter reared as a daughter, three sons and a grandson reared as a son, 34 grandchildren, 47 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren.

Services were held at L.N. Forbes Original Free Will Baptist Tabernacle.