"I was searching for someone. And she happened to hit me in the picture at that time," recalled William.
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"He was just a fella until I began to like him," added Rosa.
The pair first met in church, bonding over music. They would eventually date for three years before opting to get married in 1952, on just six days notice.
"I gave her a Christmas present and then we decided out of the blue... boom," said William of their spur-of-the-moment decision.
They would tie the knot on New Year's Eve, at their pastor's home.
"We were out in the rain," Rosa said.
On the top of their piano, which Rosa still plays, is a family tree full of pictures of loved ones who often spend time inside their Raleigh home of the past 61 years.
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"It doesn't seem like it (has been seventy years). But you see my kids, and my grandkids, my great-grandkids," Rosa explained.
So what's the secret to reaching the 70 year milestone?
"We've had our ups and downs, but the thing about it is, when we had a problem, we'd try to talk it out," William said.
The pair used to go for dinner and a movie to celebrate their anniversary, but have scaled down their plans due to the pandemic. Instead, they'll enjoy a meal at home, courtesy of their family.
"We have made it this far and we are looking for 70 more," said William.