Timaru couple Brian and Anna Fahey celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary yesterday and took a moment to look back on their marriage.
Mr Fahey knew of Mrs Fahey but one of their earliest moments together was when he presented her at a ball in Oamaru.
It was when Mrs Fahey — then Anna Crowe — was a cook at Talbot Hospital that they starting seeing each other and eventually married.
‘‘I proposed to her in the car when we were driving back from visiting friends in Fairlie,’’ Mr Fahey said.
‘‘At the hospital I was cooking for 100 people, then when we were married I was cooking for two. He got quite well fed for a while,’’ Mrs Fahey said.
Both came from farming backgrounds and after their marriage, moved to a farm in Claremont, where they raised their five children and lived for 43 years before moving to Timaru, where they have been for the past 22 years.
Mrs Fahey said the farm was a great environment in which to raise their children.
She said her advice for a long-lasting marriage was to follow through with the wedding vows.
‘‘To love, honour and obey through sickness and health until death do us part — as well as being committed to one another and sharing together.
‘‘Another thing is that we never bought anything when we didn’t have the money. We waited until we did and we were never in debt.’’
They were involved with their children’s sports and Mrs Fahey was involved with the PTA and the Women’s Institute over many years.
They both also enjoy gardening.
They said they have been very lucky with their health and were also lucky to have had in-laws who approved of them being together.
‘‘We have had many good memories together and we are grateful to our children for what they have done for us.
‘‘We raised them for the first 20 years and they have been helping us for the past 45 years. We are lucky as they are all in South Canterbury.’’
They had a party last weekend to celebrate and had friends over yesterday to celebrate their anniversary.
