Couple marries after 77 years of living together

<br>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Zyness O'Haver and Sallie Warren decided to make it official and get married. Why not, after living together 77 years? <br><br>O'Haver, 95, and Warren, 94, were married

Thursday, April 3rd 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Zyness O'Haver and Sallie Warren decided to make it official and get married. Why not, after living together 77 years?

O'Haver, 95, and Warren, 94, were married Wednesday in a ceremony at the Oklahoma County courthouse. Three of the couple's four grandchildren were on hand to witness.

``I can't remember when I've married a more anxious bride,'' said Special Judge J. Fred Doak.

After the repeating of the vows and exchange of rings _ enlivened once when Warren prematurely answered the judge with ``I sure do!'' and a few times when she gave O'Haver quick kisses _ the judge pronounced them ``man and wife, woman and husband.''

O'Haver is a retired plumber and construction contractor. His bride has used O'Haver's name for many years. They apparently began living as a couple in 1925 and had one son, the late Louis Gene O'Haver.

Their marriage was Zyness O'Haver's idea, family members said.

``He's a fun guy,'' grandson Louis G. ``Garrett'' O'Haver Jr., of Norco, Calif., said shortly before the wedding, ``and he used to say as a joke, 'Someday I'm gonna make an honest woman out of her.' ``

A granddaughter, Rebecca O'Haver of Oklahoma City, said her grandparents met during ``a hayrack ride'' in Texas when her grandfather was about 17, and her grandmother, a native of Tyler, Texas, was 16.

Rebecca O'Haver said the family had long considered her grandparents' wedding date as July 17, 1925. But, family members never were able to locate their marriage license and were told conflicting stories about it, until they decided it didn't exist.

When greeted by one of the well-wishers, Zyness O'Haver answered, ``Yes, it's a big day.''

Then he said, turning toward his wife, ``And this is the little lady.''