A newlywed couple from Kansas got married at the ripe old age of 96 – after finding true love while shooting pool in their retirement home.
The story of the two widowers Doris Kriks and Carl Kruse is not conventional, but still touching – and shows how rivalry can sometimes lead to something romantic.
Their fateful games – which Kruse admitted Kriks almost always won – eventually culminated in a real romance, which initially remained unrequited and felt only by the eventual groom.
After an unsuccessful proposal and several more defeats, Kruse finally decided on a different strategy – this time with a proposal of a different nature.
Instead of appealing to his future wife’s feelings, he took a more utilitarian approach, showing her a larger unit they could move into when they tied the knot. The move worked, he said, as Kriks saw the expansive walk-in closet in the room.
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The story of the two 96-year-old widowers Doris Kriks and Carl Kruse is not conventional, but still touching – and shows how rivalry can sometimes lead to something romantic
The couple married last month after meeting at their retirement community in Kansas, with Kruse becoming smitten during some one-sided games of pool
After three previous marriages, the two married, becoming the oldest newlyweds in the country.
They sat down with CBS Evening News’ Steve Hartman to reminisce about their unlikely love story at the Good Samaritan Society-Cedar Lake Village senior living community in Olathe.
It started, Kruse remembers, at the facility’s pool table.
“She was a really good billiards player,” said the self-proclaimed billiards player, commenting on the initial arguments that began when Kriks moved in about two years ago.
At the time, Kruse thought he was one of the best pool players in the building, he said – until Kriks moved in and finished him off.
“Yeah, I was definitely surprised,” Kruse told the station about Kriks’ billiards skills, which quickly became apparent with each successive defeat.
“She’s a hustler,” the widow added – while a visibly pleased Kriks snapped: “It’s a good feeling to beat men.”
The new couple shared a hearty laugh before revealing how their rivalry led to something more within a year.
After three previous marriages between the two, the two got married, becoming the oldest newlyweds in the country.
They sat down with CBS on Friday to reminisce about their unlikely love story at the Good Samaritan Society-Cedar Lake Village senior living community in Olathe
On its website, the facility touts that it offers residents “the benefits of a personalized lifestyle combined with the security of community living” – things that allowed this relationship to blossom
Kruse, a retired chemistry professor, recalled how both he and Kriks, a former accountant, realized with each game that they were more excited to see each other than to compete on the field.
They soon began dating outside of their pool games after realizing they both had another common interest – music.
Kruse, who was married once and lost his wife to pancreatic cancer in 2010, plays the violin, and Kriks, who lost a husband to cancer and was married twice before moving to Cedar Lake, is a pianist.
The duo quickly decided to make music together and created duets that regularly warmed the ears of the other residents.
While this was happening, the two also became closer to each other, which led Kruse to propose marriage and try another relationship.
However, Kriks answered with a resounding “no” – spurring the next stage of their stormy journey.
“I wasn’t looking for a man,” Kriks explained Friday, sitting next to her lover.
It started, Kruse recalls, at the facility’s pool table, when Kriks hit Kruse several times before they discovered they had other common interests
Kruse, a retired chemistry professor, recalled how both he and Kriks, a former accountant, realized with each game that they were more excited to see each other than to compete on the field
They soon began dating outside of their pool games after realizing they both had another common interest – music – with Kriks being an accomplished pianist and Kruse an expert on the violin
After an unsuccessful proposal and several more losses, Kruse finally decided on a different strategy – presenting a walk-in closet in a larger apartment that they had since moved into
She told Hartman how she said “yes” to her now-husband on the spot – before showing the reporter the new storage unit.
“He told me he’s committed to making this a happy marriage,” Kriks said a few weeks after their wedding ceremony at the assisted living facility. “It warms my heart”
Kruse, meanwhile, commented that despite the initial rejection, he felt like he still had a chance, telling Hartman, “I thought the way she said it, it’s not like it never will.”
Kruse, meanwhile, commented that despite the rejection, he felt like he still had a chance, telling Hartman, “I thought the way she said it, it’s not like it never will be.”
This stubbornness – coupled with quick thinking about how to better approach his future love – soon paid off, but only after he showed her the larger apartment where he could live.
The highlight, however, was the unit’s walk-in closet.
“I thought, ‘Oh, this is really nice,'” Kriks recalled of the second-floor room where they now live. “Then he showed me the walk-in closet.”
With sparkling eyes, she recalled, “I thought, ‘This could work.’”
She told Hartman how she said “yes” to her now-husband on the spot – before showing the reporter the new storage unit.
“He told me he’s committed to making this a happy marriage,” Kriks said a few weeks after their ceremony at the assisted living facility. “It warms my heart.”
After the ceremony, the two enjoyed a lovely dinner with their family and friends, they said. When asked where they would start their honeymoon, Kriks – now Kriks-Kruse – said: “Our new apartment.”
On its website, the facility touts that it offers residents “the benefits of a personalized lifestyle combined with the security of community living” – things that allowed this relationship to blossom.
After the ceremony, the two enjoyed a lovely dinner with their family and friends, they said.
There, family and friends were able to ask the couple questions.
“They asked if Carl had served in the army and where we were going on our honeymoon,” recalls Kriks – now Kriks-Kruse.
“I said ‘Our new apartment’.”