A Penrice couple’s enduring love has become more precious than platinum as they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on October 20.
Vera and Lance Codrington were married at Gruenberg Lutheran Church, Moculta and still remember the day they first set eyes on each other.
“It was a bit of a blind date,” laughs Vera (nee Wilksch).
“I started nursing in September up at the Angaston Hospital and a friend of mine, her brother and her boyfriend were going to the Nuriootpa band carnival and they took me along too.
“We got there and I bumped into a group of blokes and Lance was among them.”
Lance was the perfect gentleman and Vera admitted she was impressed from the very start.
“We watched the bands, stayed for the carnival that night and finished up sitting in the car and we talked and talked....he hasn’t stopped talking since!” laughed the now 91 year old.
“He pestered me for years to marry him and I gave in!”
Back then, young couples needed to be married to obtain a permit to build a house.
“The war ended in 1945 and there were building restrictions because materials were pretty scarce...A lot of people built a shed first and lived in that.
“We did the same thing but we didn’t live in it, we lived with Lance’s parents for the first 2½ years after we were married.”
Lance, a retired cabinetmaker/carpenter whose work has graced many a Barossa home, Cellar Door and even churches, said they still live in the Penrice home they built together.
“We built our own house, made all our own cement bricks...You should see our dressing table, it’s seven feet long!” the 94 year old says of his handy work.”
But there was a slight challenge to overcome when they first started talking about marriage - Vera’s mother.
“I was a Lutheran and Lance wasn’t!” said Vera. “He was regarded as ‘not quite the right type for me’. This was something my mother told me right from the start: if things go wrong, you can’t come home to me! So we made it work, there were no other options to consider.”
Looking back, they are grateful for their long lives together and as far as the answer to the secret behind a long marriage? Vera has a cheeky answer.
“If he moves out, he’s got to look after himself and he’d never survive!” she laughed
“I guess it’s love isn’t it? That’s really what’s kept us together and our Christian faith.”
Lance agreed.
“We’ve had our little squabbles and that, but we always got over them,” he added, clearly as proud of his wife as the day he walked her down the aisle.
There’s a youthful sparkle in his eyes when he tells of Vera’s talent for making and decorating wedding cakes, their caravan adventures to far-flung destinations and how clever his bride had been in her school years.
“She won a scholarship you know,” said Lance.
Whilst further education for women was a difficult option at the time, it’s obvious Lance knew she could have done whatever she chose in life.
He’s happy she chose him and they can now celebrate their Platinum Wedding milestone during lunch with their three children, Ian, Tony and Jennifer along with their partners.
No doubt they’ll enjoy talking about the next generations which include three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren to date.
Lance will reminisce over family history and his latest wood turning or photography exploits, whilst Vera will smile at his many anecdotes as they flick through their wedding photos.
“I wouldn’t change a thing!” smiled Vera.