They love each other as much today as they did when they tied the knot 60 years ago.
Marie and Ronnie Gotte, from Denlee, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Thursday (July 25) and the couple was thrilled to be celebrating a lifetime of love together.
Both grew up in Germiston and have seen the city change over the years.
“When I first met Marie she was a young girl of 11 years old and I a boy of 13,” Ronnie said.
“Her family had moved in next door to us and I became friends with Marie’s brother, Chris.”
Marie and Chris went to Goedehoop School and Ronnie attended Germiston Central.
“I never really took much notice of Marie,” Ronnie said.
Chris and Ronnie completed their apprenticeship to be boiler makers/welders together, and also did their national service at the same time.
In the meantime Marie studied bookkeeping, shorthand and typing, and got a job in Selby.
“It was when I was in the third year of my apprenticeship and I was standing on my veranda when Marie came home from work,” said Ronnie.
“She was then 17 years old and had become a young lady – it was like I was seeing her for the first time.
“I said to myself: Gee, you are chasing all the girls in Germiston and look what’s staying right next door to you.”
Ronnie decided to ask Marie out on a date and he did, ask and ask and ask, and each time Marie would say: “No thank you”.
Eventually he persuaded Chris to take Marie along him when he took his girlfriend to the movies, and Ronnie would casually just bump into them and watch the movie with them.
This happened a number of times, until, one night, Ronnie decided it was now or never and he grabbed Marie’s hand.
“I reached out and took her hand and, oh boy, I thought I had caught a very big fish the way she struggled to get loose, but I just held on and eventually she stopped trying to get her hand away,” he said.
“I squeezed her hand, no response, I squeezed again and what do you know, I felt a squeeze back, and that is where the romance started.”
He finished his apprenticeship and a year later they were married in the Germiston Methodist Church.
Marie and Ronnie went on to have three children, Ian, Sonia Robinson and Dawn Cunningham.
They also have 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Marie said that her mother always said she would end up marrying Ronnie, because she didn’t really like him at first, and it turned out to be true.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better husband or father to our children,” Marie said.
“I love him as much today as when we got married.”
Ronnie echoed these sentiments, saying that it feels like yesterday that they walked down the aisle.
Today Marie enjoys reading, knitting and crocheting, and Ronnie likes to do woodwork and gardening.
Both also used to enjoy a game of bowls.
When asked for advice on a successful marriage, Marie said: “Trust one another and always be truthful.”
Ronnie said: “Always be faithful to one another and make your arguments right before you go to bed.
“Tell each other you love one another now and then and don’t take it for granted.
“But, most importantly, bring God into your marriage to make it stronger.”
They celebrated their anniversary with friends on Thursday and, in February, next year, their daughters will be coming over from Scotland and they will then have a family celebration.
