Velma Long and Dorothy Boggess, both 109, are opening up about the friendship that has carried them through eight decades and counting.
The Washington D.C. Residents first crossed paths during the Roosevelt administration after landing typist jobs in the War Department during World War II. That shared wartime experience launched a bond that has outlasted most marriages, careers, and even the majority of their other friendships.
“We both lost so many other friends so we both have to hang together,” Dorothy said.
The pair did more than find best friends in that government office. Both women met their future husbands there too. Dorothy and George Boggess married in 1942, a year after they met, and stayed together for 74 years until his death. Their son, Kenneth, came along early in the marriage. During their seven-decade union, Dorothy and George visited all fifty states and forty-five countries, according to Ward 4 Senior Social Hub. George Boggess lived to 104, nearly matching his wife’s remarkable longevity.
Velma marked her own 109th milestone in August with a major birthday celebration. Despite their advanced age, both women remain active and mobile. They still speak on the phone every single day, a ritual that has persisted across presidents, wars, and technological revolutions.
“The people want to know some of our secrets, but we can’t tell every little thing,” Velma laughed during her interview.
She did let slip one crucial element, though: maintaining a social life. Velma continues joining outings with her daughter, Phyllis Valentine, 78, even when she feels reluctant.
“She always insists that I come along. I say, ‘I’m really too old,'” Velma shared. “She says, ‘No, you’re not. People love to see you – to see a person that’s your age.'”
Kenneth Boggess echoed that intergenerational theme when discussing his mother’s bond with Velma. “They’ve been friends for years. They are close, and they can relate to one another,” he said.
The women’s story has exploded across social media platforms, drawing thousands of comments from Americans struck by the rarity of such enduring connection. “Bestie goals,” one user wrote. “I hope to have at least one of my favorite peeps with me in my later years! How blessed are these beauties?!” Another commenter added: “Beautiful. Afriendship like this is so rare to find and they are beautiful, wise and blessed.”
The average life expectancy for American women currently sits at 81, making Velma and Dorothy’s combined 218 years a statistical anomaly that has captured national attention. Their daily phone calls and continued physical proximity in the nation’s capital suggest their formula involves more than genetics or diet.
Velma and Dorothy’s wartime meeting came at a pivotal moment for women in the American workforce, when millions stepped into government and industrial roles vacated by men deployed overseas. Their typing jobs in the War Department placed them at the center of the Allied effort, processing the communications that helped coordinate military strategy across multiple theaters of combat.