Westville couple share unbreakable bond
Vienna and Leon van der Walt celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on Wednesday, 10 March.
THE love that brought a Westville couple together seven decades ago still remains as strong as ever.
Leon and Vienna van der Walt celebrated their 70th anniversary on Wednesday, 10 March at a small gathering with their family.
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The couple met at the Durban YMCA and Leon said it was Vienna’s red hair and of course her beauty that attracted him to her.
The couple dated for 18 months before they tied the knot at the Redhill Presbeterian Church in 1951. Leon was 22 and Vienna was 17.
“Leon was and still is patient and loveable,” said Vienna. The two best friends said in their youthful days, they enjoyed playing badminton and dancing at the YMCA.
“He has been a fantastic and wonderful husband. We have had a happy marriage and we have loved each other through thick and thin,” she said.
The couple are still very much in love as their eyes sparkle when they speak about their love story.
“I absolutely adore my wife and I knew from the first day I saw her that she was my soulmate. She is very kind and has taken good care of our family,” he said.
Leon worked at the Durban Post Office for 45 years and after he retired, they explored the world through travel. They have four children, nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
