US couple married for 63 years die together, just minutes apart

A couple married for more than six decades have died side-by-side just moments after one another in a US nursing home.

Henry and Jeanette De Lange passed away on July 31 in a South Dakota nursing home, just 20 minutes apart, in what one of their sons has described as a "beautiful act of God".

"You don't pray for it because it seems mean but you couldn't ask for anything more beautiful," Lee De Lange told CNN.

Jeanette De Lange, 87, who was suffering with Alzheimer's, died first at 5:10pm local time.

The family told her 86-year-old husband that "mom's gone to heaven," and he could join her if he wanted.

At 5:30pm, Mr De Lange briefly opened his eyes and gazed one last time as his wife's body before he died.

The family said they were surprised but happy the couple passed away together.

"We read Psalm 103. We didn't quite get done," said Lee.

"She passed away very, very peacefully. Incredibly peacefully."