California

Calif. Couple Marks 70th Wedding Anniversary With Well Wishes From Celebs

They received over 150 celebrity mementos and well wishes, including a letter from the president and the first lady and a hand-written note from George Clooney

A California couple is celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary this year, and everyone from George Clooney to President Barack Obama is taking notice.

"It wasn't always sweet and smooth," Richard Arambula admitted to NBC affiliate KGET.  

"There were times I wanted to get the gun," Mary Arambula joked about their relationship. 

The couple's seven decades of marriage inspired their granddaughter, Belinda Bannister, to ask for pictures from people congratulating her grandparents on social media and in letters.

"So then we wrote the Vatican and we got an Apostolic blessing and then we just went crazy, I think. We just wrote everybody," Bannister told NBC affiliate KGET. They received over 150 celebrity mementos and well wishes, including a letter from the president and the first lady, a hand-written note from George Clooney and a gift from the late Joan Rivers.

The couple was stunned at the warm response.

"I didn't expect nothing like this," Mary said. "We're going to hang onto all of this," said Richard.

Bannister created a book of all the photographs.

"These people are amazing. They are just fabulous and I love them and I want everyone to know about it so they can know how amazing they are," said Bannister.

Mary and Richard Arambula were married on December 31, 1945 at the ages of 16 and 17. They have 4 children, 13 grand kids, 18 great grandchildren, and 8 great-great-grandchildren.

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