True forgiveness is golden
GELVANDALE couple Arthur and Susan Wentzel believe forgiveness, among other things, is the key to 50 years of marriage as they celebrate their golden wedding anniversary this Friday.
Arthur met Susan, nee Neff, in 1964 at a friend’s 21st birthday celebration.
“I approached her parents at the party to ask their permission to take their daughter out on a date,” Arthur, 73, recalled.
The retired materials handler who worked at General Motors SA checking items on the production line, added that Susan – who was 17 at the time and had left school at the age of 16 – was not honest about her age and so he had thought she was much older.
After Susan fell pregnant, the couple got married on the day before Susan’s 19th birthday on November 13 1965 at Gelvandale Moravian Church.
“My parents were okay with me getting married at a young age because they did not want us to raise a child if we were not married,” Susan said.
She added that when they decided to get married, they loved each other very much. She remembers feeling both “nervous and excited” on her wedding day.
Susan, 68, has been a stay-at-home mom to six children – Gregory, Keith, Marlene, Cecil, Gerard and Stephany. They also have eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
“The secret to our long and happy marriage is God, love, forgiveness and trust,” Arthur said. He added that they always confided in each other.
Arthur said their children do not always understand why he and his wife forgive each other so quickly.
“We always try to work things out.”
Susan said they were not planning to do anything special for their wedding anniversary but their children insisted they wanted to do something special for their parents.
“We will be a gathering with family and friends at St Thomas Hall for our anniversary,” Susan said.