Secret to happy marriage humour, hope and love
THE secret to a long and happy marriage is communicating, working together, a sense of humour, hope and love.
That’s according to Toowoomba couple Ron and Floris Wilson, who celebrates their 60th wedding anniversary this week.
The couple was introduced by a mutual friend in 1955 and spent their courtship going to local dances and the Strand and Empire theatres.
They were married at 1pm on June 15, 1957, at the Neil St Methodist Church in Toowoomba, by Reverend TN Deller.
The reception followed at Weis’ 55 Neil St, opposite the Empire Theatre.
Mr and Mrs Wilson travelled by bus and train to Bundaberg for their honeymoon, returning to Toowoomba to the home in Alford St that Mr Wilson had been renovating.
Mr Wilson, 88, is the eighth child of James and Christina Wilson, who owned a farming property at Burra Burri near Jandowae.
There, he attended the local school until 1943, later boarding in Toowoomba while attending the Toowoomba Technical College in Margaret St.
Mr Wilson’s first employment was as an office
clerk with the Darling Downs Butter Factory (riding a push bike with each day’s banking to the bank) and later as an accountant for various Toowoomba firms, including The Gas Co, 4GR, the
Cheesman Applegarth firm, McKinnes and lastly The Barley Board from where he retired in 1987 to assist in their son’s joinery business.
During his younger years, he played a-grade cricket and football and tennis.
His interest in these sports continue to this day, as he enjoys watching all sport on television.
Mrs Wilson, 81, is the eldest child of four children to Stan and Floris Rake.
She went to the South Girls’ State School, passing scholarship in 1949 and moving on to Toowoomba State High School to complete a composite course in commercial subjects and home science.
She began work at NW Oelkers Accountancy Practice on December 3, 1951 and continued in this field since and after her marriage as office supervisor with RN Elliot and Co and Rodgers Bond Wyton and Co until retirement in 2000.
Mrs Wilson enjoys dressmaking, crochet, letter-writing and has modelled at various charity fashion parades.
She regularly has contact with old school friends and the couple enjoys fellowship with members of the church.
The couple has three children - Ross, owner of the RW Joinery business in
Toowoomba, Roslyn, an administration officer with a Brisbane family day care and Wanda (who has lived in London for 28 years), an accountant with Eva Jiricna Architects.
They have nine grand children and three great
grandsons.
Mr Wilson has always been a keen gardener and is most proud of his mango tree, and his roses, dahlias and gerberas, which are used by Mrs Wilson in floral arrangements for their church.
Mr and Mrs Wilson enjoyed several trips overseas and are now enjoying retirement.
They will celebrate their 60th anniversary with a lunch with their extended family.