Ohio couple married for more than 64 years die within hours of each other while holding hands

Couple who were married for more than 64 years die within hours of each other while holding hands at Ohio senior living facility

  • Bill Schafrath, 88, died at approximately 7am while his 85-year-old wife, Nancy, died at approximately 11am at Brookdale Senior Living in Wooster, Ohio
  • The couple had been living at the assisted living facility for the past year 
  • They did not have any children but Bill was one of 12 siblings, meaning that they had many nieces and nephews, along with roughly 200 other family members 
  • Massive family convened at the couple’s funeral Mass on January 2 at St. Mary Catholic Church 
  • Schafraths had been going to that church since they were married
  • Bill was a bricklayer while Nancy had been working at a local bank for more than 30 years  

Bill Schafrath, 88, died at approximately 7am while his 85-year-old wife, Nancy, died at approximately 11am at Brookdale Senior Living in Wooster, Ohio

An Ohio couple who had been married for more than 64 years died within five hours of each other on Christmas Eve, holding hands as they shared their last breaths. 

Bill Schafrath, 88, died at approximately 7am while his 85-year-old wife, Nancy, died at approximately 11am at Brookdale Senior Living in Wooster, Ohio. 

The Schafraths had been living at the assisted living facility for the past year.

‘In the last couple weeks, when he couldn’t get out of bed anymore, we’d push their beds together in the middle of the room,’ Pat Cornelius, the couple’s niece, explained to the Daily Record. ‘So they literally held hands for the last week of their life.’ 

Other family members have shared their amazement at how close the couple’s death were to one another. 

‘It’s almost like they decided that if one went, the other would go, too,’ their nephew, John Moritz, said. ‘Somehow they knew.’ 

The Schafraths did not have any children but Bill was one of 12 siblings, meaning that they had many nieces and nephews, along with roughly 200 other family members. 

'In the last couple weeks, when he couldn't get out of bed anymore, we'd push their beds together in the middle of the room,' Pat Cornelius, the couple's niece, explained. 'So they literally held hands for the last week of their life'

‘In the last couple weeks, when he couldn’t get out of bed anymore, we’d push their beds together in the middle of the room,’ Pat Cornelius, the couple’s niece, explained. ‘So they literally held hands for the last week of their life’

The massive family convened at the couple’s funeral Mass on January 2 at St. Mary Catholic Church, where the pair had been going to church since they first got married.

Actively involved in their church, the Schafraths was also known well within their community. 

Bill was a US Army veteran who served in the Korean War from 1951-1953. He made a career as a bricklayer, mostly working for Bogner Construction, and was a member os the Bricklayers and Masonry and Plasterers International Union of America. 

Nancy spent 35 years working for Wayne Savings Community Bank, starting as a teller and eventually becoming the first vice president and manager of the bank’s Cleveland Road branch. 

Both were a part of community groups in the area and Nancy was even a volunteer for Friendtique and People to People Ministries. 

The Schafraths had been living at the assisted living facility for the past year

The Schafraths had been living at the assisted living facility for the past year

The Schafraths enjoyed playing cards and spent a lot of time outdoors. In the winter, they often went to Tampa, Florida, to enjoy the heat. 

Nancy was described as being ‘extremely outgoing, bubbly and energetic’ who liked to ‘joke around a lot.’ 

Her husband was known for his garden and for the work he put into his yard at the couple’s home. 

‘He grew his own tomatoes and liked to cook. He was a cook in the Army, and so he did all the cooking for them. And he loved taking care of his beautiful home and garden outside,’ Cornelius said. ‘Everything was meticulous all the time.’ 



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