Anniversary marked
COUPLE CELEBRATES 60 YEARS
Six decades of love and commitment were celebrated at the weekend at Anita and Brent Hutchinson’s 60th wedding anniversary.
Mr and Mrs Hutchinson, in their 80s, were surrounded by loved ones at Southern Cross Care’s Ave Maria Village on Saturday as they reflected on their time together.
Originally from Melbourne, the couple met at a church dance in May 1954.
‘‘I fell in love with his eyes, he had the most dreamy eyes and long eyelashes,’’ Mrs Hutchinson said.
A love of music brought them together and they continued to attend dances, mainly at the Heidelberg town hall.
They were married at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Thornbury on April 27, 1957.
In the years that followed they had three children, David Hutchinson, Kim Bertolus and Philip Hutchinson.
‘‘Mum and Dad are the most loving couple and they always encouraged us to do our best and raised us to be caring and respectful people,’’ Mrs Bertolus said.
It was in his 50s that Mr Hutchinson suffered a series of strokes and Mrs Hutchinson became his primary carer.
‘‘He was only 53 when he had the first stroke, it was very hard,’’ Mrs Hutchinson said.
‘‘He had to learn to talk again and walk.’’
In 2013 Mr and Mrs Hutchinson relocated to Shepparton after a tree fell on their family home in Belgrave.
‘‘We came here because Kim lives here and she’s a nurse, so it made sense,’’ Mrs Hutchinson said.
Mr Hutchinson now resides at Ave Maria Village where Mrs Hutchinson visits him every day.
‘‘Mum is especially devoted to Dad,’’ Mrs Bertolus said.
‘‘I tend to think if we were home we’d be together,’’ Mrs Hutchinson said.
‘‘So I come at about half past 10 and fly out of the door to catch the last bus home.’’
Mrs Bertolus said while her father did not talk much any more, her parents still managed to communicate in the most amazing way.
‘‘They’ve had a very happy life and they are a very loving couple,’’ she said.