A Minnesota couple who met on a dating app, learned they were born on the same day in the same hospital — and even went to kindergarten together — married 35 years later.
Joshua and Elizabeth Colbert met on the dating app Hinge in April 2023 and began asking questions to get to know each other, the couple told CBS News.
Elizabeth had asked Joshua where he grew up and went to school, and when she realized they attended the same kindergarten, she dug out her old class picture and found Joshua in it.
Then they learned that they were both born on September 13, 1988, at the same hospital – Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids, Minnesota – just six hours apart.
After kindergarten, however, they each went their own way and only spoke to each other again when they matched on the app.
“This whole divine intervention, as we call it, has really encouraged me to continue to try to spread our story of hope and second chances,” Elizabeth said.
Joshua and Elizabeth Colbert met on the dating app Hinge in April 2023 and learned that they shared a birthday and went to kindergarten together
Elizabeth had asked Joshua where he grew up and went to school, and when she realized they went to the same kindergarten, she dug out her old class picture and saw that Joshua was in it
“She asked where I grew up and I said I grew up in Andover and went to Northside Christian School,” Joshua said.
“And she says, ‘No kidding, I was there in kindergarten too.’ And then we put it together and graduated [1995] So we think, “Maybe we were in the same kindergarten class.”
Elizabeth's mother dug up old home movies and discovered that she had enlarged Joshua during her kindergarten graduation.
“We actually found our old kindergarten graduation video, so we're both in there,” Elizabeth said.
Joshua said: “And the crazy thing is that her mother zoomed in on me in the video and then panned out and zoomed back in on Elizabeth.” So it was like we saw that and were like, no way. A mother's intuition, I guess.'
The two said they couldn't remember each other since they were in high school and lived separate lives until they were compatible. Elizabeth has two children, 8-year-old Chloe and 6-year-old Knox, and Joshua is an Iraq War veteran.
The couple said they were both in dire situations after their respective divorces and believed it was God who brought them together as adults.
“We believe it was God.” Despite the fact that we could have had all these similarities, we would have been complete opposites. And that is not the case at all. So I feel like it was just the perfect match. And yeah, I think it was definitely divine,” Joshua said.
After a month of dating, Joshua asked Elizabeth to marry him.
“I'm old-fashioned, so I asked her father for her hand in marriage.” Her family is very close-knit. “We meet every other weekend after church for dinner,” Joshua said.
Five months after reuniting on Hinge, the couple married at Pinewood Weddings & Events in Cambridge, Minnesota on September 13, 2023 – on her 35th birthday.
Joshua and Elizabeth were both born on September 13, 1988 at the same hospital – Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids, Minnesota – just six hours apart
Her kindergarten teacher (center) was present at her wedding in September
“We were in the same room the day we were born and it's just fitting that now, 35 years later, we're getting married on our birthdays.” “I think it's just really special,” Joshua told Fox 9.
“You couldn’t make it up if you wanted to.” “I tell people our Hallmark movie is coming out this fall.”
At the wedding, Elizabeth's father Alan Goracke officiated the ceremony, her son Knox walked her down the aisle and they made a special guest appearance, USA Today reported.
“Our kindergarten teacher, we were actually able to track her down and sent her an invite and she showed up,” Elizabeth said.
“And not only did she show up, she also found a photo of us at track and field day together.”