Local couples say humour the key to decades of happiness

HAVING a sense of humour is the key to a happy and long lasting marriage, according to four friends who together have been married for more than 130 years.

Point Lonsdale’s John and Elizabeth Gray have been married for 69 years, while their friends David and Ruth Jennens have been married for 62 years.

Ruth said the secret to a long lasting beautiful marriage was a sense of humour, followed by travelling and raising children together, and not arguing.

“We never win anyway so why do it?” John joked.

John, Elizabeth, David and Ruth became friends after meeting on the bowling green at Point Lonsdale Bowling Club more than 20 years ago.

Elizabeth, David and Ruth all reside at Arcare Point Lonsdale, while John lives nearby and visits his wife each and every day.

Ruth could recall her wedding day – which was held at St Phillip’s in Hoddle Street in Collingwood in 1957 on Easter Monday at 11am – like it was yesterday.

In the lead up to their wedding, Ruth said David came all the way from England to woo her when he got off the plane with tickets to the Olympic Games.

“I had to marry him then,” Ruth joked

“How else would I have got to the Games?”

John and Elizabeth, who worked as dairy farmers near Rochester for about 38 years, have six children, 13 grandchildren and three great grandchildren, while David and Ruth have four children, 10 grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

All four have been keen travellers since retirement, with John and Elizabeth caravanning around Australia, and David and Ruth travelling across the Nullarbor about 19 times, as their daughter lives in Perth so they used to make the drive every year.

John said the biggest change he’d seen during his years was the advancement of technology.

“It’s overwhelmed us in the farming industry – it’s incredible – tractors can drive themselves all night and plough a paddock or sow a paddock, no one is even driving them!” he said.

One thing all four were thankful for was retiring into a beautiful place called Point Lonsdale.

“It’s been wonderful,” John said.