We live in times that are constantly changing and one of the most recent changes is the difficulties that we are facing as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. It happened so quickly that most of us never even had the time to adjust our thinking and before we knew it, we were dealing with a shrinking economy and stay-at-home orders. Some of us find that it is an inconvenience but there are others who have been affected in the worst way possible. That is the case with many people who have lost grandparents as a result of the coronavirus.
This is a story about Wilford Kepler and Mary, his wife. They met in the 1930s and shortly thereafter, he went to serve overseas during World War II. They had attended high school together and Wilford even left high school to join the military. He still wanted to make sure that Mary was there for him when he returned so he kept writing letters back and forth with her as he was in Europe. When he returned home in 1946, he and Mary got hitched and they spent the next 73 years living together in Wisconsin and raising a family.
In April 2020, Wilford fell and had a serious head injury. Around the same time, Mary was diagnosed with COVID-19 and was put in quarantine. Both he and Mary ended up being transferred to Froedtert Hospital and he tested positive for the virus as well. Since they were both dealing with COVID-19, medical personnel allowed them to stay in the same hospital room. They even pushed their beds together so they could hold hands.
We live in a time in which things are uncertain but the relationship that these two shared with each other is something that helps us to know that we can get through this.