JACKSON, MI – Les and Freda Austin did everything together.
They
married in 1949 and their skills and hobbies complemented one another
like the jigsaw puzzles they’d meticulously piece together.
Freda
loved cooking and baking – and had more than 1,000 cookbooks. She’d
make her famous chocolate chip cookies and sour cream cookies. And Les
would eat them as fast as she could bake them.
Les
pumped his wife’s car with gas. He set up a hanging tennis ball in the
garage so Freda knew how far to pull in. He’d drive Freda to get her
hair done and wait with her until the appointment was finished.
On
Friday, Dec. 6, the pair of 90 year olds went into hospice together. Les
and Freda died the next day, 20 minutes apart, in beds side by side.
"They
did everything together. They didn't stop with death," daughter Sandy
Maes said. "I think they knew each other was passing and they are
eternally together. And I think it was beautiful."
Les
died first. Though Freda wasn’t conscious, family members said her
eyebrows sunk down. As life left their bodies, their heads fell in the
direction of each other.
"If they had to go, this way was about as romantic as you could get," son Michael Austin said.
Les
and Freda had two children, four grandchildren and eight
great-grandchildren. Les grew up in Mason and Freda was raised in Holt,
but they lived together in their Jackson home up until recent weeks.
They celebrated their 70th anniversary in November.
Family members describe the couple as great role models. They were people who led by example.
Les
retired as a sergeant with the Michigan State Police, where he started
the crash reconstruction program, using science to decipher details
about vehicle crashes. Freda was a manager at Brail Dry Cleaning in
Jackson.
They were introduced in high school by a mutual friend and their first date was prom.
Family
was important to Les and Freda. They encouraged their children’s
interests, going as far as both becoming chaperones while their kids
were in band camp.
They
loved camping, only selling their fifth wheel last year. Besides
camping trips to the U.P. and Tawas City, Les and Freda liked visiting
lighthouses and scouting out garage sales.
"They
went and saw pretty much every lighthouse in Michigan and some beyond
Michigan," Maes said. "My dad has to have the biggest collection of
lighthouse sweatshirts and T-shirts anywhere."
Les also liked John Wayne memorabilia while Freda collected cookbooks and Dickens’ Villages.
Their
70 years weren’t without struggle. Like any couple, they argued – but
worked through it. One of the bigger ones was when Les signed up for the
Korean War without telling his wife.
