65th anniversary celebrated

Some people are lucky to get to their 65th birthday let alone to their 65th wedding anniversary.

But for Invercargill couple Ray and Adelaide Hawkins, luck must be on their side because today the former Centre Bush couple will have been married for just that – 65 years.

The Hawkinses met in the early 1940s while holidaying on Stewart Island.

Adelaide was with a group of girlfriends from Mabel Bush and Ray was there for a boys' weekend with two of his mates.

Their encounter eventually led to their engagement, but World War II got in the way of any wedding plans.

Mr Hawkins was deployed to the Pacific Islands to serve in the 3rd NZEF Army Service Corp.

While her fiance was gone, Adelaide went to work for RG Spears, where she made tins for war supplies.

Three years passed before the couple were reunited and married.

The couple had two children – a daughter and a son.

Their son lives in Invercargill and their daughter is in Australia.

The couple lived at Centre Bush for 32 years before moving to Winton during the year of their 50th wedding anniversary.

Yesterday, family and friends celebrated the couple's wedding anniversary milestone at the Invercargill Workingmen's Club.

The Hawkinses secret to a happy marriage was simple. "Just living, I think, and plenty of hard work," Mr Hawkins said.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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