Marcelle (65) and Petrus (72) Jacobs celebrated 50 years of marriage on March 20.
As youngsters, they always wanted to reach this milestone in their marriage.
They met in 1969 where they stayed in Jan Hoff Meyer (Jan Bom) Brixton and got married on March 20, 1970.
Their meeting was a fairy-tale one where Marcelle needed a five cent coin to phone her mother in Kyalami.
“He was there and I had to ask him for five cents. He first said ‘I hope you won’t phone your boyfriend’. He then said he will give me the money if I can offer him a cup of coffee. The rest, as they say is history,” explained Marcelle.
In 1976, they moved into 6 Ulster Crescent, Crown Gardens, and stayed there until 2015.
They then moved into 25A Annie Burger and stayed there ever since.
They were blessed with six children, five girls and a boy: Sandra, Raymond, who died in 1996, Desiré, Shirley, Lea-Ann and Joey. Raymond committed suicide when he was 24 years old.
The Jacobs have 12 grandchildren: Alwyn, Bianca, Stevan, Juandré, Raymond, Natasha, Deandré, Candice, Divan, Alicia, Chezelle and Nathan, and three great-grandchildren: Derené, Jayden and Lené.
The couple said they love each other and Marcelle said Petrus was and is a loving husband, grandfather and great grandfather.
“He always took care of us, he never took a day off while working. I always remembered those days when I would wait for him to come back from work.
“Our motto for a long relationship is to love each other, understand each other and have faith in each other. Always build your relationship on the Lord and make the Lord the rock of your home,” she said.
On the other hand, Petrus, who most people call Manie, said bringing up the children was the greatest thing that has ever happened to him.
They wish themselves a healthy good life as they had health scares in recent years.
Petrus had a bad heart attack 11 years ago, and only his one side of his heart is functional, while about four years ago Marcelle picked up a virus which attacked her organs such as lungs and heart.
“We are glad that we have each other and have a supportive family, especially our girls. Though we never had a honeymoon, 50 years is the biggest feat in our lives and we are very thankful,” said Marcelle.
