LARGO, Fla. — A Largo couple is celebrating an incredible milestone. 

Jan. 14 is Joe and Wilma Huffman’s 75th wedding anniversary.

What You Need To Know

  • Joe and Wilma Huffman celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary on Jan. 14, 2025

  • The Huffmans, originally from Indiana, met when Wilma was 14 and Joe was 16

  • They dated for two years before getting married in 1950

  • In all, they have five children, 10 grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild

These two love birds met right after World War II and got married during the Truman administration.

It’s incredible to think that a small box could hold memories of a lifetime.

Each picture in that box inside a living room in Largo is a snapshot of a story of two people from a town in central Indiana and how they fell in love.

“He came to my house and walked me to school down the railroad track to Anderson High School,” said Wilma Huffman.

Wilma and Joe Huffman are in their 90’s and are originally from Anderson, Ind.

They’ve lived in Largo for a couple years now to be closer to their daughter but, long before that, in the 1940’s, Wilma was 14 and Joe was 16 when they met.

“I didn't have a car at that time,” Joe said. “We rode a bicycle and that's how we dated.”

“I rode on the handlebars,” said Wilma.

For two years, they dated as only young teens could.

But in 1950 they decided to tie the knot.

“When did you know Joe was your man?” Spectrum News asked Wilma.

“I didn’t,” she said. “I kind of shunned him for a while. But he was persistent.”

“Are you happy he was persistent?” we asked.

“Well, yeah,” Wilma said while laughing. “I guess we are.”

This sort of personifies Joe and Wilma.

When you speak with people who’ve been married a long time, the advice is expected — be patient, work through the ups and downs — but in 75 years, Joe has mastered what he feels is most important.

“Even though I know I’m right sometimes, I don’t say it,” Joe said. “I’m wrong, make her happy.”

It’s a love language that is impossible to capture in words because this story has created so many others.

Forty, to be exact, because they have five children, 10 grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.

“I didn’t think we’d be here, you know, but I’m glad we’re still here, thank Jesus,” Joe said while tearing up.

Even though there are so many pictures showing their lives, it’s impossible to capture the impact these two have had on each other and their loved ones in a small box.

But they’re here and it’s all because two people fell in love.