Husband, wife celebrate 100th birthdays within weeks of each other

WASHINGTON (TND) — A husband and wife in Minnesota each celebrated their 100th birthdays within just a few weeks of each other.

KARE reported that Barnt Hougland turned 100 years old on Saturday, which was exactly two weeks after his wife, Rita Hougland, joined thecentenary club.

"Yeah, that was something we didn't figure at all," Barnt told KARE.

"It means a lot," Rita added.

They live in Richfield, asuburb of Minneapolis, where a party was held to honor their milestone birthdays.

"On behalf of the city, we wanted to wish you a happy hundredth birthday,"Richfield Mayor Mary Supple said during the celebration.

The lovebirds will celebrate their 75th wedding anniversary in August.

So, how did they meet?

The two were introduced by a mutual friend after World War II -- with Barnt enlisting in the U.S. Army during the conflict -- according to KARE.

They later tied the knot on Aug. 9, 1948.

As for a happy marriage, as well as long lives, they said they are thankful to good genes and taking care of themselves.

They also told KARE they always take care of each other.

"He's pretty patient with me," Rita said.

"Just be kind to each other," Barnt said.

According to the website Statista, there were 82,000 centenarians in the United States in 2016.

"This figure is expected to increase to 589,000 in the year 2060," the website notes.