laman (01/08/83)
One more point: With mortality rates the way they are, a woman may not want to marry an older (say > 5 years). To exemplify, assume a couple gets married where both are the same age. Mortality averages would suggest that the husband will die say 5 years before the wife (I don't have the actual rates in front of me but I think 5 is a lower bound). Well, the wife will be without her husband for her last 5 years. If he is five years older than she when they got married, then she could spend 10 years without her husband. One of the reasons I got married to my wife is that she is the one I want to be with me when I'm in my "last years". Obiously I have made the assumptions that the couple will make the marraige work, they die at the average mortality shows, .... But I think you see my point, one disadvantage to a women marrying an older man is that there is a GREATER chance of living her final years out without her husband. Not that we have any say in such things, but it is a thought. I know of a couple in their later years, where the wife is ~7 years younger than her husband. Makes you think a little, especially if I told you that there are still 9 kids at home ranging from ~20 to ~7. Mike Laman