First love, last love: Omaha couple gets married after six decades apart
By Pete Cuddihy
Click here for updates on this story
OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — A lot of people wonder what would have happened if things worked out with their first love.
Young lovers Mike and Judy thought they would spend the rest of their lives together. They went to the prom together and the two were inseparable.
Everything seemed perfect.
They got engaged after they graduated from Holy Cross High School in 1959. And from spending time with the two, you’d think they spent the last six decades together. But that’s not the case.
Judy Allen said they kind of drifted apart and didn’t even know exactly why.
It would take separate marriages, 60 years apart, and living nearly a thousand miles away for them to finally tie the knot.
It’s the story of how a single phone call from a mutual friend would reconnect the two.
But to understand the full story, let’s rewind to 1959, the summer after the couple graduated.
Mike joined the Air Force.
“I went in and, went basic training and I came back and we got engaged. Then, when I came back this I had orders to go to Japan for two years,” said Mike Allen.
The two were in love, but the long distance began to weigh on their relationship.
Mike Allen said he wrote a letter every day for the first year and a half but eventually grew tired of it.
When he got back home from Japan, they decided to call off the engagement.
“We weren’t ready to get married yet, so we kind of went, kind of went our separate ways,” said Judy Allen.
And like that, the fairy tale was over.
“When I walked away that day, I said a prayer that maybe one day we’ll end up back together,” said Mike Allen.
The two fell in love with other people. Mike moved down to Texas and got married to his wife Diane in February of 1962. Judy stayed in Nebraska and got married to her husband Joe in January of 1963. They both started families and were married for over 60 years.
“That’s the story of our lives,” said Judy Allen.
Or so they thought …
After 60 years of marriage, both of their spouses passed away.
Mike’s wife died in October 2022, and Judy’s husband passed away in March 2023.
Life without their spouses wasn’t easy.
“I was really lonely and I didn’t like being alone anyway, especially at night,” said Judy Allen.
But then the unimaginable happened.
On a random Thursday night, Mike was on the phone with an old friend from high school, Bob Gehrman. Coincidentally, at the same time, Judy called Bob.
When Bob realized he had both high school sweethearts on the line, he did what any good friend would do. Bob gave Mike Judy’s number and told him to call her.
And Mike did.
“Soon as I heard her voice, it’s just the feeling came over me. I said maybe something will come of this,” said Mike Allen.
“That’s how I felt too,” said Judy Allen.
The two began calling each other every night, never missing a call.
After months of calling and FaceTiming daily, Mike flew in from Texas to see Judy.
“I was determined I wasn’t gonna let her get away this time,” he said.
This time, they got married — over 60 years after he first proposed — surrounded by old high school friends like Bob, the man who brought them back together.
“The people in the wedding were classmates, and it was fun,” said Gehrman.
Mike Allen said he had never been so happy in his life.
Now the two enjoy their golden years together in Omaha, ready to spend the rest of their lives together.
Judy Allen said it felt like 60 years apart didn’t seem that long.
This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.