Draft:Cleovis and Arwilda Whiteside

Cleovis (born May 29, 1921) and Arwilda (born August 22, 1925) Whiteside are Arkansas' longest-married couple.

Background
Cleovis Whiteside was born May 29, 1921, and Arwilda Whiteside (née Kelley) was born August 22, 1925. The couple met at church when Arwilda was 9 years old and later married on July 24, 1939 in Clarendon, AR when she was 13 and Cleovis was 17. Cleovis and Arwilda have 12 children together and 159 grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren combined.

Arkansas' Longest Married Couple
Cleovis and Arwilda Whiteside were married on July 24, 1939, and have been together ever since. Family Council in Little Rock, AR first began recognizing Arkansas' Longest Married Couples in 2018. Cleovis and Arwilda were in second place in 2018, but they have held the 1st place as Arkansas' Longest Married Couple since 2019. July 24, 2023 marked their 84th marriage anniversary.