JC and Josie Cox were married on Christmas Day in 1932.

On Tuesday afternoon, 100-year-old J.C. Cox and his and 96-year-old wife Josie were buried together.

The couple — married for 75 years — died within five hours of each other.

Their story begins on Christmas Day in 1932.

"She was telling me they went up to a pastor's door and knocked on the door," said Lesha Grimm, one of the Cox's granddaughters. "He didn't marry them, so they went to another pastor's house."

Persistence never left them. They kept their wedding vows for 75 years, through the deaths of their own children, the lives of three new generations and the inevitable changes in each other.

"He was 120 pounds at most, ever," Grimm said. "She was a fat granny."

While Josie was described as a talker, J.C. said little.

"He couldn't hear real well and he didn't talk much anyway," said Marla Williamson, another of the Cox's granddaughters. "That was his way of socializing with you was to share Dr Pepper."

The fridge is still loaded with Dr Pepper. The little Fort Worth house is unchanged.

"They stayed together the whole time," Williamson said, pointing out the bed they had shared.

Mrs. Cox insisted on being the sole person to care for J.C., even up until the moment they entered a nursing home last month.

"She was still ironing his clothes three weeks ago," Williamson said.

"She was going to make sure — even though he never went anywhere — his clothes were going to be starched," Grimm said.

The granddaughter said their closeness was apparent up until the second they died. A few days ago, Mr. Cox took Mrs. Cox's hand and he slipped away.

"Holding hands — and that's how they died," Williamson said, with tears in her eyes. "Pa died holding onto Granny."

Just five hours later, she, too, let go, as her family whispered to her.

"Your children are waiting for you, and Pa is waiting for you," Grimm said. "It's okay; you can let go and we'll all be okay together. And a minute later, she passed."

E-mail jdouglas@wfaa.com