The world marked Valentine’s Day last week – a world where humility and kindness seem scarce, but where Jan and Joey Naude stand out as a shining example of grace and devotion.
Celebrating 66 years of marriage this year, the Naudes are a well-respected couple in Dundee, known for their commitment to each other and their outreach work with the congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Their marriage is built on love, equal respect and humility. “We start and end every day with a prayer,” said Jan. “We eat together and have always done so. We are always together.”
Born in Newcastle, Jan settled with his family on a farm in the Helpmekaar area and schooled at Dundee High School.
Joey was born in Dundee and finished her school at what was the Convent (now Pro Nobis) and ironically, both she and Jan worked at Consol but say they never knew one another at that stage.
“It was only when I left for Johannesburg and returned for a visit that I met Joey through mutual friends.
When I visited again, I asked our friends where was she.
When I was told she lived ‘just around the corner’, I invited her to the farm, where we went for a walk.
“That’s when I asked her to marry me and she immediately said yes!”
Joey said she was ready to say yes because she had already told her mother she had met the man she was going to marry.
Married on October 31, 1959, the couple stayed in Dundee, as Jan had already come home.
Joey later worked at Edgars while Jan later worked at the municipality and Robor Steel in Glencoe before branching out into his own business, Dialtec, which his grandson runs today in Newcastle.
Four children were born – three sons and a daughter. Sadly, only the daughter survives and lives in Richards Day.
The Naudes are blessed with nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; the youngest being five.
While Dundee has changed tremendously over the last 66 years – and not always for the better – the Naudes have fond memories of Friday night shopping being a weekly highlight.
“The shops would close at 17:00 but on a Friday would re-open at 19:00 and close at 21:00.
We would travel in from Talana Village and the town would be buzzing with shoppers, enjoying one another’s company and supporting local businesses.
There were never any problems or crimes to worry about,” Jan recalls.
Since 1964, the Naudes have been actively involved in outreach with the Jehovah’s Witnesses. “We used to go door-to-door and help people read and understand the Bible as God’s word. How you treat people is how you will be treated. Respect is all-important.
“These days we are not able to do these visits. Instead, we go to town on Saturday mornings, where we set up a station on the pavement and chat with people passing by.
We never charge for any reading material or Bibles; we just want people to understand the Bible and that there is hope and restoration for all of us.”
While the world (and Dundee) can be a cruel place, with many uncaring people, in the Naudes there is a generous light of caring and a genuine love of their fellow man.
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