Couple's 66-year marriage began with a 'little white lie’

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Jane and Gene Borochoff share a love story that began with a surprising twist involving letters.

A love story written in letters 

The backstory:

Gene Borochoff stands at his kitchen table at Trillium Woods Senior Living Community surrounded by a pile of letters he thought were thrown out years ago. 

Turns out, his wife Jane has held on to the sweet notes that share the story of their past.

"There are apparently letters that were exchanged from when we were dating that I didn’t know still existed but Jane has been keeping these for a very long time," Gene explained as he opened a large white bag filled with notes from decades ago. 

Gene and Jane’s love story all started before the two ever met for a blind date. Years earlier, unbeknownst to Gene, he actually exchanged letters with Jane for a summer. At the time, he thought he was corresponding with Jane’s older sister Dorothy. 

"Unbeknownst to me, Dorothy did not like to write letters, so her younger sister Jane actually wrote the letters to me with Dorothy’s name and signed by Dorothy," Gene explained. "So, when we got together for our first date, and I knew that this was Dorothy’s sister but that was it. Jane knew a great deal about me because she had written letters to me in Dorothy’s name. So, she was a total ‘fraud’, but whatever." 

"It worked out OK," Dorothy adds with a chuckle.

A perfect match through humor

Dig deeper:

Gene and Jane's relationship has thrived on humor and partnership for over 66 years.

When it comes to marriage advice, they have a simple message. "Don’t try to get married without a sense of humor, it can’t be done," they advised.

The couple has raised three children and are proud grandparents to eight grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.