A Maryland couple who shared 70 years of marriage ended their journey the same way they lived it… side by side.
Kenneth Oland, 90, and his wife Marilyn Oland, 88, were seriously injured in a two-car crash on February 24 in Frederick County, Maryland. According to authorities, the accident happened just after 12:30 p.m. near the intersection of US Route 15 and Hessong Bridge Road.
Police say Kenneth was behind the wheel of a Ford Five Hundred traveling south on Hessong Bridge Road. Investigators said he tried to cross US Route 15 but didn’t yield to oncoming traffic. That’s when their car was struck by a northbound Chevrolet Cruze. Sadly, the crash left both Kenneth and Marilyn with critical injuries.
Emergency crews rushed them to a trauma center in Baltimore for treatment. Officials also confirmed that the driver of the Chevrolet Cruze was transported to a hospital by ambulance.
For several days after the crash, the Olands remained hospitalized as doctors worked to help them recover. But sadly, their injuries were just too severe.
Six days later, on March 2, the couple was taken off life support.
Hospital staff did something that has touched a lot of hearts since the story came out. They placed Kenneth and Marilyn’s beds right next to each other. In their final moments, the couple held hands as they passed away together.
Medical officials later shared details about what led to their deaths. Kenneth Oland died from injuries including hypoxia, pneumonia, pulmonary contusions and rib fractures. Marilyn Oland’s cause of death was listed as cardiac arrest, respiratory distress, and rib fractures following the crash.
More On Their Love:
The two had been together since 1955, a marriage that lasted seven decades. Years later, in 1963, they moved to Thurmont, Maryland, where they built their life and stayed for decades.
Their love story leaves behind a big family who will carry their memory forward, three children, five grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.
Stories like this hit different. It’s sad, no doubt about it. But at the same time, it shows the kind of bond some people pray for, a love that lasts a lifetime and, in their case, even through the very last moment.