What Dennis Abrahams still loves the most about his wife, Gertrude, is her cooking.
Thousands of family meals later, the couple will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this Friday.
Dennis, 76, and Gertrude, 70, met in 1966 when Ms Abrahams called Mr Abrahams to sing at her 18th birthday as he belonged to a gospel group.
At the time, Ms Abrahams was friends with her husband’s sister and frequently visited their home.
The pair fell in love, dated for two years and got married on July 6, 1968 at the Apostolic Mission Church in Kewtown.
Mr Abrahams reminisced back to his wedding day.
“The Friday before, it was pouring with rain and I was so worried that it would rain on our wedding day and I had so much running around to do. It was so stressful, but it turned out to be a beautiful day,” he said.
Ms Abrahams said: “I was very nervous. My father passed away a few months before that, and so he couldn’t walk me down the aisle. It was stressful but it was a beautiful day,” she said.
The couple first lived in a separate entrance in Lansdowne and bought a house in Primrose Park two years later. Their family soon grew, with Abigail, now 49, arriving a year later, followed by Nathanial, 48, Michael, 46, Russel, 44, and their baby daughter, Beulah 40.
Mr Abrahams said life wasn’t always easy but their happy times got them through the rough patches. He said the years spent raising his children with his wife were among the happiest of their marriage.
Ms Abrahams said it wasn’t always easy raising five children but the one thing that kept their family together was prayer.
Mr Abrahams who has been a minister of the Shiloh Pentecostal Church in Primrose Park for 25 years, agreed, saying that young couples of today needed to bring God into their marriages and appeal to Him for help.
Ms Abrahams said before couples get married she advises them to go for marriage classes, and to always communicate with each other as it was a vital tool of marriage. “Today is everything is a quick fix. People throw away their marriages but our parents taught us that marriage is forever. You can’t get married today and decide tomorrow that you made a mistake. We were role models for our children and always encouraged them to think about it before getting married and not just rush into it,” she said.
The couple moved to a retirement cottage in Harfield 10 years ago.
Mr Abrahams said that looking back on their 50-year marriage, he will never forget that first phone call from Ms Abrahams.
“I never thought that she would become my wife, that is my happiest moment. The one thing that I love about her the most is her cooking, even after 50 years I’m still not tired of it,” he said.
Ms Abrahams said she would forever appreciate how hard her husband worked to provide for their family. “Our children have been our biggest supporters, they are always there for us,” she said.