‘Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.’
These are the sentiments that must have echoed and continue to resonate in the hearts of Cecil and Valerie Oberholzer, who on 24 September 1960, aged 26 and 22 years old respectively, married each other at the church they met and shared a love for God. Now, six children and nine grandchildren later, the pair recently celebrated 60 glorious years of matrimony.
The Montgomery Park-based couple is the apple of their doting children’s eye. The couple’s son, Stephen, said his parents are his heroes, “Their strength lies in their faith and their church,” he expressed.
The home the couple currently resides in is the home that Cecil, a quantity surveyor by profession, project managed the build of about 40 years ago. This home, a family heirloom of sort, is where the pair raised their children in a God-fearing manner and a place where their children not only saw love, but were given it in abundance too. He also shared his mother was the quintessential stay-at-home mom and that both his parents instilled in all their children a good work ethic. So much so, that they are all qualified professionals and business owners today.
At a recent, socially distant, family celebration to mark their diamond anniversary, Valerie, in her speech said God has always been their anchor. Now in their 80s, the couple has seen the world change right in front of their eyes. Though Cecil’s health has seen better years, the pair remains as cheerful as they can be. The couple’s daughter, Dorothy, said her parents are amazing people, “They are always quick to help and you will never meet kinder people.”
