Odendaal’s celebrate 50 golden years together
Koos and Winnie decided to tie the knot at the Methodist Church in Odendaalrust on 17 October 1964.
WHEN he met her, he fell hopelessly in love with her, and now they celebrate 50 years of marriage.
Winnie and Koos Odendaal met at a roadhouse in a small mining town called Odendaalsrus in the then Orange Free State.
Koos said he was more interested in another girl at first, but when he laid eyes on Winnie, he knew she was the one.
Back then Winnie worked at a general store and Koos in the gold mines. They courted for a year before getting engaged. Koos was then deployed into the army for nine months and when he returned, the two decided to tie the knot at the Methodist Church in Odendaalsrus on 17 October 1964.
They lived in Odendaalsrus for a year before moving to Welkom for 10 years and then to Virginia for 16 years. Koos worked on the gold mines for 36 odd years before taking early retirement. They moved to Durban in 1993 and lived in Woodlands before finally settling in Botha’s Hill two and a half years ago.
They have four children – two adopted and two of their own. They are Antionette, Leonard, Linda and Werner. They also feel blessed to have six grandchildren.
When asked what the secret to their long-lasting relationship was, Winnie was quick to answer, pronouncing patience, tolerance, understanding and love to be the key. However Koos smiled and said the question was debatable.
“Koos is Koos. He hasn’t changed much through the years. Although grumpy at times, he has always loved his children and been good to our family,” said Winnie.
Koos quickly replied that Winnie has never given him any reasons to doubt her. “She never worked after our marriage, even though at times she wanted to, but instead stayed at home and looked after our children,” he said.
“When we married, people doubted us and said our marriage wouldn’t last, but the years have gone by and before we knew it, we’ve lasted 50 years together,” added Koos.
Winnie enjoys baking and doing needlework, while Koos ,who once was a passionate gardener, has succumbed to being sedentary due his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis two and a half years ago. Their advice to other couples is to respect each other instead of trying to change them or their personalities.
The charming couple had a small celebration with close friends on Saturday 11 October and a special luncheon with family on Sunday 12 October.
