Married Centenarian Couple Are Sure the Secret to Their Hundred-Year Lives Is in a Favorite Food

A couple that has been together for nearly 8 decades has shared their secret for their long-lasting relationship. The pair have revealed that there’s one candy that has kept them going.

Curtis, 100, and Virginia Peters, 103, have loved Hershey's chocolate for as long as they’ve been together. Their daughter, Susan Peters Cathoir recalled how her parents have always been fans of the candy, especially the bars.

She’s the fourth of their five children. Cathoir shared how the candy was always a staple in their home because her parents simply couldn't get enough of it.

She said: "They love the Hershey's. It melts in their mouth just the way want it.” The elderly couple first met at the University of Northern Iowa, which was then the Iowa State Teachers College, during World War II.

They got married in 1940 and grew their family while running a printing shop together. Cathoir recalled how her parents always shared everything including Hershey's chocolate bars which they enjoyed almost daily.

One constant feature in the Peters home was the candy. Their daughter shared how their home always had Kisses in candy bowls and plenty of bars in the kitchen

"Hershey's chocolate just keeps him and her alive."

She recalled how her parents would even melt Hershey's bars for everyone to dip their ice cream into. In the late 1950s, the family was treated to a dream vacation.

They left Iowa by bus to Hershey, Pennsylvania, to see where and how their favorite candy was made in Hersheypark. In their elderly years, the Peters moved from Iowa to a nursing home in Geneseo, Illinois, to be closer to their daughter.

However, one thing has remained the same; they still have a daily ritual of sharing a chocolate bar which their children bring for them. Cathoir said: "I keep a pack in the freezer and go and give them one every day. I always leave chocolate in their drawer so in case I can't make it or I'm late, one of the [nurses] can make sure they still get it.”

She added: "Hershey's chocolate just keeps him alive, and he keeps her alive," The Peters’ daughter also revealed: "He shares it with her all the time — he shares everything with her and she with him. When he drinks something, he shares it."

Hershey's appears to be one of the things that have always kept the Peters together. Their other secrets are to “pray a lot and they love. It's just pretty special.”

On Saturday, the couple celebrated their 79th wedding anniversary. Of course, the candy was available for anyone to snack on.

Hershey's brand senior director Ian Norton spoke about the couple saying:

"Mr. and Mrs. Peters are a true testament to living a life full of love and warmth, together, for nearly 80 years. We are honored to learn that they choose to share Hershey’s chocolate to have a heartwarming connection each and every day of their lives."

The brand’s spokesperson shared that they would be sending a "very special anniversary gift," to the couple.

Elderly people who’ve reached a century in years have credited different things for their long lives. In 2016, Emma Morano, 117, credited her long-life to eating two raw eggs, one cooked one, and cookies.

She had been eating the eggs daily since she was 20 years old but the older she got the less she ate them “because I have no teeth.” Being single apparently also adds years to one’s life according to the late Morano.

She passed away on April 15, 2017.