Tennessee Grandmother, 71, Married A 17-Year-Old That She Met At Her Son’s Funeral
A Tennessee grandmother, 71, married a 17-year-old that she met at her son’s funeral of all places. Now that is something you don’t see every day.
When grieving pensioner Almeda Errell from Sevierville, Tennessee, went to grieve at her son’s funeral, the last thing she expected to find was love.
Almeda told Daily Mail that she knew right away Gary was the one. Gary Hardwick, who is now 18-years-old, had previously dated a woman who was 77-years-old.
The Tennessee grandmother agreed to marry Gary after just three weeks of a whirlwind romance. Gary arranged the ceremony in just five days for less than $200. What a bargain.
Currently, the unlikely pair are living with one of Almeda’s sons, who just happens to be three years older than her new husband.
“I wasn’t looking for a young man, but Gary just came along.
“I just knew straight away that he was the one.”
The grandmother and supermarket assistant had been in despair after being widowed and losing her eldest son Robert, 45, after a seizure.
Her happiness at their meeting was in stark contrast to the lonely despair the mother-of-four had endured after being widowed and then losing her eldest son Robert, 45, after a seizure. Finding Gary was her light at the end of the tunnel.
Almeda had been married to her deceased husband, Donald, for 43 years. He died back in 2013 after spending months in the hospital from diabetes complications. Her son’s health was also failing at the time.
Gary, on the other hand, was in a relationship with his 77-year-old lover, which he said had been in turmoil towards the end. The relationship started as a crush on a teacher when he was eight.
Almeda was also having to cope with Robert’s failing health.
Gary, whose attraction to older women started with a crush on a teacher at the age of eight, said he had also been in turmoil, feeling trapped in an unhappy relationship with his 77-year-old lover.
For the next few months after the Robert’s funeral, Almeda couldn’t stop thinking about Gary. Gary and Almeda did not realize that the feelings that they had were mutual for each other until Gary broke up with his girlfriend and raced to confess his love to Almeda.
The Tennessee grandmother had a few dates with Gary, and sparks were flying between the two in no time.
“We spent hours talking about everything and found we had so much in common like our love of country music and Italian food.”
Gary is proud of his relationship with Almeda and claims that age is just a number to him. Two weeks after their first date, she had no hesitation in accepting when Gary proposed on the phone. In fact, Gary has just written a book of his life experiences, called This Is Who I Am.
The couple says that they have gotten the blessing of most friends and family, including Gary’s mother, Tammy, 48, and his grandmother, Carolyn, 71 – the same age as Almeda.
But not everyone approved of the pair’s unconventional relationship. Almeda said that despite proclaiming her love for Gary, some family members thought she was out of her mind.
“Some family members Gary was far too young for me, and that I must be crazy.”
The grandmother and Gary are now living in Almeda’s five-bedroom house with her daughter DeAnna, 40, and grandchildren Aaron, 21, and Indianna, 16.
Later, on their wedding night, they had sex for the first time. Although oddly enough, at the age of 18, it was not Gary’s first sexual experience with an older woman, he still described the night as magical.
“It was wonderful, beyond my wildest dreams.
“She really is my dream woman and the physical side of our relationship couldn’t be better.”
[Image via Shutterstock]
