1. Wally & Jo Schirra: Married Until Death
By all accounts these two had an amazing relationship. Not only did they stay married for 62 years until their deaths but they were very happily married. Both known as the jokesters or pranksters in their respective groups (of astronauts & wives), they were a very playful couple that really supported each other. Jo was the step-daughter of an admiral and a classic wife. She knew how to make her husband feel like a man and she never publicly humiliated him. She was very proud to be married to Wally and to be one of the original first seven astronaut wives. They had 2 children together: 1 boy and 1 girl. As you can see by photos, they always looked happy and playful together.
2. John & Annie Glenn: Married Until Death
In many ways the power couple of the group. They are still happily married today after 71 years. They actually grew up together and have known each other since they were in the "play pen" as their families had been close. Not only was she incredibly supportive of him and his astronaut and political career but he reciprocated it abundantly. He supported her emotionally before being deployed by telling her that he was "just going down to the corner store to get a pack of gum." One time he even presented her with a pack as a present. This was his very loving attempt to help his wife deal with the stress and tension of his dangerous career. He also supported her while she dealt with a stutter that was so severe she could not speak 85% of the time, despite any potential repercussions with NASA. With the support of her devoted husband, Annie ended up overcoming most of her stutter so that she can at least have conversations now. Though John Glenn is looked at as a great American hero, he tells the press that his wife is his hero. They had 2 children together: 1 boy and 1 girl. As you can see by their photos, they always look happy with big smiles.
3. Alan & Louise Shepard: Married Until Death
Hands down the most criticized couple of the group, mostly for Alan's indiscretions and Louise's grace and poise in the face of it all. While most people jump to the conclusion that she was acting (while silently in torture) or that they weren't happy, that's just not the accurate picture. Of course Louise was not fond of her husband's indulgence but she understood and respected it. Unfortunately, some men just have incredibly high testosterone and a problematic necessity for a release. Louise was able to overlook this and still be a devoted and supportive wife to her husband because she knew that it was not personal. Alan had much more rock star status then the other Mercury astronauts because he was famous for being the first American man in space. He was a top man and though it may not seem like it to women, he genuinely loved and respected his wife. For him, the cookies were just random treats and he did not indulge in mistresses or emotional affairs. He sincerely really loved his wife as she loved him and they had a very strong and close relationship. After 53 years of marriage and 3 daughters together, the two died just 5 weeks apart and their ashes were scattered together. The photos of them together show their genuine happiness and deep love.
4. Gus & Betty Grissom: Married Until Death
The couple that ended too quickly. These two were a true pair. They supported each other in their youth, making many sacrifices to reach their dreams. Every year Betty attended NASA's annual remembrance day for Apollo 1 until last year when it was announced that it would be her last attendance due to declining health. By all accounts they were two peas in a pod, deeply devoted in love which was only further proven by Betty's refusal to get remarried. Though Gus did indulge in a cookie and Betty got that letter it was no where near symbolic of their relationship. Gus didn't seek other women and he was a very family-oriented man who always made it a point to find time to spend with his family. In a lot of ways, these two were made for each other and their love endured even death. They had 2 sons together. The photos of them together show their companionship and compatibility.
5. Scott & Rene Carpenter: Divorced
The couple that probably should not have gotten divorced. Though Rene always spoke very highly of Scott and marriage, it wasn't enough to overcome her careerism bug. Initially supported by her loving husband of 4 children together (including the 1 who was lost), at some point Rene's priorities transferred from family to career and their marriage was never able to recover. When her career took off, people started to know her name over her husband's despite the fact that he was 1 of the original Mercury 7. What a way to emasculate your husband. It's no wonder this marriage fell apart with Rene wanting to focus solely on goals outside of the home which neglected her husband and children. The sad wonder is if Scott ever got over Rene breaking his heart. She told him that her career and her pursuits as a controversial journalist meant more to her than their marriage and more than what he was doing in the Space program for America and the world. Though she had before said "a husband — a man — is a rare, wonderful creature, a pleasure to wait and love," she was the one who filed for divorce after 24 years of a loving marriage to pursue careerist endeavors. It was clear that she had been bitten by the feminism bug when she stated that her new work life came with 3 main priorities post-divorce: (other than work) children, friends and gentlemen callers. Her statement at the time, "There may be four or five men in my life at one period." showed her obsession with attention and need for companionship. Commonly referred to as "JFK's favorite astronaut wife", the spotlight really went to Rene's head and she couldn't get enough of it once she had been exposed. In the end her new life didn't seem to be what she wanted after all, as she eventually remarried and retired. On the flip side, Scott remarried several times with a total of 4 marriages and 3 divorces. The last marriage was shortly before his death. It seems that no woman was able to hold his interest as long as Rene had, what a shame. The photos of them together seem to display their dynamic: He was a happily married man with his eyes set on her and she was a confused and misguided married woman with her eyes set on the cameras of the far horizon.
6. Deke & Marge Slayton: Divorced
Although their marriage didn't seem to have many troubles, it's not very surprising that their relationship did not last. As Marge was already a divorcee, statistics show that women's second marriages have a lesser success rate than that of their first. Her claims for divorce were that “the lying, the cheating, and the feeling that her husband had abandoned their home for that ‘harlot of a town,’ the Cape.” Whether or not this is true, it is interesting to note that they were married for 28 years and had 1 son together. Though she was the one who filed for divorce, Deke got re-married later the same year to a woman that he stayed married to for 10 years until his death. Most likely case scenario is that Marge with her uncouth attitude and remarks, drove Deke into the arms of another woman in which he found sanctuary in. Men who like to play the field don't immediately get remarried once they've finally achieved a divorce so the scenario that he was just a cheater who couldn't keep it in his pants make no sense. Admittedly, photos of them together seem more forced and posed for, rather than genuine and comfortable.
7. Gordon & Trudy Cooper: Divorced
The couple that probably never should have been together. It's no longer a secret that these two were already separated though still married at the time the Mercury program started. Luckily for Gordon, Trudy was willing to play the part because she understood the bigger picture of what it meant to explore space and land on the moon. While the show represented their relationship as Gordon trying to win back Trudy, there is no solid evidence of this. After 11 years and 2 daughters together, the Coopers suffered a very bitter and ugly divorce. Trudy was the one who filed and she claimed it was because of his "continued infidelity". This is confusing considering the fact that they were emotionally separated at the time of the space programs. Gordon was a very cocky character who was known as one of the "cookie indulgers" along with Alan Shepard. Ironically though, Trudy never remarried but Gordon Cooper did. Not only did Gordon remarry just 1 year after his divorce with Trudy but he stayed married to his 2nd wife for 32 years until his death. He was so happy in his second marriage that he even underwent 2 surgeries to reverse a vasectomy so he could father children with his new wife. Those don't sound like the actions or results of someone who only cares about "cookies". It seems more that Gordon wanted to be a good husband and have a family but it was really Trudy who didn't want that life. The only female pilot of the crew, she was definitely the most feminist and least romantic. Photos of them together show the distant separation and lack of contentment in their relationship (unless of course they were under the spotlight).
So all in all, 4/7 Mercury marriages were very successful and lived happily married until the ultimate separation despite the current social trend of divorce at the time. The real love of these couples prevailed NASA, "cookies", the media, feminism and all other marital obstacles that came their way. Fairy tales do come true after all.
