Joined together in love, and in death

To be heartbroken is nothing more than a figure of speech ... or is it? Here's Susan Spencer of "48 Hours":

In 10 years at the Tampa Bay Times, Andrew Meacham has written more than a thousand obituaries.

"If you drill down far enough, there's always a story," he said. "Everybody's got one."

And sometimes two people share the same story.

"It's not mathematically probable that couples should die together," said Meacham. "But when it does happen, there's something beautiful about it."

Recalling one such couple, Jimmie and Bettie Wise, makes him choke up a bit even today.

"They were in the same room together, at the end, in the nursing home," Meacham said. "The bed rails [were] turned down so that they could hold hands.

"And he had said before he died that he wanted to go help Jesus get ready for her. And then, four days later, she died."

They shared their love, their lives, and ultimately their 2010 obituary -- a retired railroad engineer and a homemaker, married 63 years.

More