By David Eck

DAYTON DEANERY - When William "Bill" Kiefer married Marie Borgman 37 years ago, he quietly and secretly vowed to himself to love her, care for her and, to the best of his ability, give her everything she ever wanted.

COURTESY PHOTO

Bill and Marie Kiefer at St. Mark Bookstore in Dayton on Marie's 96th birthday.

Marie Kiefer turned 100 on April 21. The night before, Bill Kiefer and friends celebrated with her at a nursing home with Mass, and ice cream and cake.

"It was just so touching how much he loved her," said Robin Rigg, an advertising representative at The Catholic Telegraph, "How committed he was to taking care of her."

Kiefer, 82, brought Marie home May 2, where she died five days later. He was sitting in a chair five feet away. It was just after 3 p.m. "I know the exact moment," he said.

The couple has no children.

They met about 40 years ago when Kiefer, who was then a Marianist, ran St. Mark Bookshop in Dayton for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Marie, a widow, was a store volunteer.

Kiefer left the religious order for health reasons after 25 years, and bought the bookshop from the archdiocese. Marie came with the store, he joked.

"She proposed to me," he said. "She would never let me say that I asked her to marry.''

The two worked side by side and built their business, at one point owning three stores.

They became soul mates.

"Marie worked eight hours a day, six days a week alongside me," Kiefer said. "We were never more than 50 feet apart. I always knew everything that she knew and vice versa.''

Kiefer, who had been a librarian in religious life, ordered the books for the store. Marie tended to staff, the finances and ordered the gifts.

"She and I were always in harmony day and night," he said. "I had a great respect and love for her. She really became a part of me."

Their lives revolved around each other and the store. For years, they drove across the country to conventions, workshops and meetings. California. Dallas. New Orleans. New Jersey. Tennessee. Indiana. Washington, DC.

At age 94, Marie was the oldest active buyer at the Christian Booksellers Convention in Atlanta.

Even during their trips, Kiefer never forgot his vow.

He arranged for them to stay in nice hotels and never drove more than 500 miles in a day.

"I tried to make it pleasant and worry-free," he said. "I had everything planned down. We traveled literally all over the United States."

The couple took just one real vacation, going to Europe for three weeks in 1972.

At home, Kiefer usually cooked, making breakfast while Marie got ready for work. They ate lunch in the store, and he usually made dinner while Marie rested.

"I tried to do things for her so it wouldn't tire her out," he said. "I constantly worried about her and watched her. Maybe she got to be 100 because I would never let her do anything too strenuous. I was never hard on her."

About four years ago, Kiefer had a heart attack, collapsing at the store. Doctors at the hospital were about to pronounce him dead, but he survived and was in a coma for eight days.

"When I had my heart attack, she went with the ambulance to the hospital, and she stayed with me for 20 days and nights," he said. "She never left me.''

Soon after, Marie's own health started to fail. She had a fall in 2004. She had diabetes and Alzheimer's disease in recent years.

For the past 18 months, when Marie could no longer move well, Kiefer set up a bed for her in their living room. When she was in the nursing home, he stayed by her side 12 hours a day, never forgetting the promise to himself.

"He's really worked hard to keep this store going while she was sick, but it was clear that she was a priority," said Mary Jo Mykytka, who has worked at the store since 2004. "He worked hard to be there when she needed him.''

Two days before Marie's funeral, Kiefer spoke of their love.

"Marie and I, our minds are similar. Our spirits are similar. Our values are similar. We lived a simple, practical life," he said, his voice breaking. "She was a good girl."