How we met: "We decided to get married and I found the only white dress in town, which was cowboy style"

When Irma first used the internet in April 1997, she had no idea it would spread or that it might lead to lasting love. “I was living at home in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, with my mother and siblings,” she says. "My sister bought an Internet-enabled computer." At the time, Irma worked in a hotel, but had only used fax.

After connecting via a dial-up connection, Irma discovered internet chat where you could meet and connect with people from all over the world. “There were so many people talking at the same time that I just couldn't understand. I tried to join a band for over 30 years but at 28 I was too young and got kicked out. Although she had never been married, she joined a group of divorced people because she thought it would attract people her own age. "They let me in even though I wasn't divorced and I liked it. The conversation was slower and everyone was talking about a funny short story written by someone named Keith. She quickly reached out to Keith via direct messages, to find out more about his writing.

They hit it off immediately and started talking online every day. in accounting and computer science in Ashland, Wisconsin, and I was writing as a hobby," says Keith. Like Irma, he wasn't divorced, but joined the band to meet people his own age. "When you can only talk to someone and not see them, you get to know them better,” he says. They quickly moved on to sending letters and packages.

In May, they agreed to meet for the first time in Miami, between their two homes. When they arrived, it was "love at first sight". We hit it off right away, talking about each other's lives and the differences between the Dominican Republic and northern Wisconsin," says Keith. Irma loved how much they laughed together. "I also really liked his family values ​​and his easy-going attitude."

After their trip, they continued to chat constantly. "One day he asked me for my ring size and I had no idea what it was," Irma says. In June of that year, Keith invited her to come to Wisconsin for his sister's wedding. As soon as he arrived, he made his marriage proposal, to the surprise of those close to him. They spent the rest of the weekend celebrating her sister's wedding before Irma returned home. "There was a problem with my flight so I had to stay an extra day." His family, seeing how much they loved each other, suggested they get married right away.

With the help of a friend, Keith was able to get a quick marriage license for the next day, while her family arranged food and decorations. "I bought the only white dress in town, which was cowboy-style," laughs Irma. After the wedding, she returned home to complete her business in the Dominican Republic. "My family knew I had a good head on their shoulders so they were happy for me, although I later found out they were terrified at the time." The following month, Keith had the chance to visit his hometown and they celebrated there. “The priest didn't let us get married in the Catholic Church because the wedding was too quick,” he says. Instead, they threw a party with Irma's family.

After a honeymoon in the Dominican Republic, they moved back to Wisconsin. In February 1998, they moved to Orlando, where Irma was able to find a job at another hotel. They had three children, born in 2000, 2002 and 2008. Before baptizing their first son, the local church suggested they marry under the Catholic faith. "We had to take a test separately and the priest said he had never seen anyone better matched in 50 years," says Keith.

Irma likes the laid-back nature of his partner. "I get annoyed with things, but he's cold all the time," she says. "He's also a very hardworking person. People thought we wouldn't last, but here we are, 25 years later."

Keith says Irma " gets it". "I think she's a much better person than me in her morals and the way she sees the world," he says. “We never argue either, which my friends don't think is normal. We get along so well."

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