Theresa Faiss Dies: Wife Had Longest Marriage In Country With Husband Wilbur

By Howard Koplowitz | November 02 2012 12:21 PM

Theresa Faiss, who along with her husband Wilbur, were recently recognized as having the country’s longest marriage, has died in Las Vegas. She was 97.

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Theresa and Wilbur Faiss, a former Nevada state senator, were married for 79 years. In January, they were honored by the Worldwide Marriage Encounter for having the longest marriage in the United States.

"She was an amazing woman who was adored by her three sons," her daughter-in-law, Linda Faiss, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

While the couple were recognized as having the longest marriage in the United States, couples are only given the honor once, so it’s possible that other couples were married longer, the paper noted.

The recognition was not the only honored bestowed to the long-lasting couple.

President Barack Obama paid a visit to the couple after hearing about their honor as the longest married couple in the country, the Review-Journal reported.

Theresa and Wilbur Faiss have a middle school named after them, and the couple would talk to students at the school every year. The honor was the biggest source of pride of their marriage, relatives told the Review-Journal.

Theresa Faiss was born on Sept. 10, 1915, in Clinton County, Ill., according to the Review-Journal.

She married Wilbur Faiss in 1933 and the couple moved to North Las Vegas, Nev., in 1944.

Shortly after moving to Nevada, the couple opened Truck Haven. Another business, Truck Harbor, followed. Both businesses are defunct, the Review-Journal reported.

Wilbur Faiss used to work at the Nevada Test Site, now known as the Nevada National Security Site. During his employment, Theresa Faiss ran the service station and a café along with the couple’s three sons, according to the paper.

The couple later moved to Summerlin, Nev., where they have lived since 1985.

Theresa Faiss was honored as Clark County’s Pioneer Mother of the Year in 1996.

Faiss is survived by her sons, Robert, Ron and Dan Faiss; six grandchildren, five great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren, according to the Review-Journal. Her sister, Hazel, and brother Melvin preceded her in death.

A private funeral service is scheduled for the 97-year-old. Donations to the Wilbur and Theresa Faiss Middle School were suggested in lieu of flowers.

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