Gillitts high school sweethearts toast to 50 years of marriage

THE adage, opposite attracts, certainly rings true for Gillitts couple, Gerrit and Anneke Jansen, who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday, 4 July.

Gerrit and Anneke met when they were 14 as they both attended Pinetown High School.

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“Of course I did not take any notice of him at that time,” said Anneke.

They started dating in matric when Anneke asked for a lift to a dance.

“I did not have any transport and because we lived in the same area, I asked him and his friends to give me a lift. We went there, danced, we clicked and that is when our love journey began.”

After matric, the two went on to train for teaching and both qualified as educators before getting married in 1970 at the Dutch Reformed Church in Pinetown.

While Anneke said it was always her passion to teach, Gerrit said he was persuaded by Anneke as he had not decided which path he wanted to take.

Anneke taught at Werda Skool before joining her husband in Pietermaritzburg where they continued with their teaching.

Gerrit also served at the deputy principal of Kuswag Skool in Amanzimtoti and was the principal of Gelofte Primary School before the schools amalgamated into one school.

“My husband has good qualities and he is a very sporty man. He ran the Comrades Marathon eight times. Running and sport was never my strong point but as the saying goes, ‘opposite attracts’.“

Gerrit’s perseverance is what Anneke also admires about her husband.

“He has always managed to overcome obstacles and he is a great father to our two daughters. We also have four grandchildren,” said Anneke.

The love birds, who are also best friends, said talking about everything and being open with each other has made them stronger and they are able to overcome whatever life throws at them.

“We feel blessed to have been able to reach this milestone. We can not believe how fast the time has gone by,” said Gerrit.

Gerrit and Anneke said they are planning to have a big celebration once the lockdown is over.

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