FRESNO, Cali. -- The love story of a California couple is being remembered as a real life version of The Notebook. Married for 67 years, the devoted couple died within hours of each other this month. But their great-grandson insists their story is even more romantic than fiction. In the early 1940s, Floyd Hartwig was World War II sailor fighting in the Pacific. For six years, he and his sweetheart, Violet, kept in touch across the seas by mail.
“There are 130 letters,” said daughter Donna Scharton. “The first one was in 1946 when they started writing."
She pulled out letters that were scribbled with their devotion from during that time.
“'Need your arms around me, darling. Hope it will be soon, honey. All my love, darling, and take care of yourself. Love you, love you and shall always love you, honey, for as long as I live.'"
The Hartwigs married in 1947. He called her “Vi,” and worked at a feed company and delivered eggs.
She called him “Blondie” and together for 67 years, they raised a family.
"They were very supportive parents,” Scharton.
At age 90, Floyd Hartwig suffered from kidney failure, and at 89, Violet battled dementia. But they never forgot about their love for one another.
"My dad was using his cane and short of breathe, but he kept helping her, wanting to help her,” Scharton said.
Then on Feb. 11, the family members knew the couple's health wouldn't get any better, but they would remain devoted to one another until they passed away.
"When we could see it was really getting close we pushed their hospital beds together and moved them over so they could hold hands and my dad died holding my mom's hand and my mom died five hours later,” Scharton said. “They were meant to go together."
Losing two people he adores has been hard for 16-year-old Jake Curtis, the couple's great-grandson.
“I think about them every day,” Curtis said.
He has heard people describe his grandparents as the couple from The Notebook, but he said their story is sweeter because they truly lived their life dedicated to one another.
"It's a lot better, like The Notebook, but a lot more interesting,” he said.
Through the years they never forgot about their love for one another right until their lives came to an end Feb. 11. Family members knew the couple's health wouldn't get any better.
“At the funeral home, there were two caskets, and my brother and I were standing together and we said it was meant to be,” Scharton said.
