Published December 01, 2015
A man and wife who were married for more than seven decades died hours apart this week at a hospice in northern Illinois.
Family members say Robert and Nora Viands were always together during their 71 years of marriage. Their son calls their deaths -- 16 hours apart at a Rockford retirement center-- a "blessing" because each would have been heartbroken without the other.
The Rockford Register Star reports that 92-year-old Robert Viands died around 12:45 a.m. Wednesday. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Nora Viands died at 4:45 p.m. She was hospitalized with pneumonia in December.
The Viands' children decided to put their parents in the same room at the hospice for their final hours.
A joint funeral will be held Sunday.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/illinois-couple-married-for-71-years-die-16-hours-apart