Local newsNews
Montclair couple celebrates diamond years
A Montclair couple took a trip down memory lane as they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
IT was a game of badminton that hit the ball in the court of love 60 years ago for Montclair couple, Ron and Phyllis Parsonage who celebrated their diamond anniversary on Thursday, 4 April.
The couple met while playing badminton in 1951 and the sparks flew since then. Phyliss nee Allen was 20 years old and working at Standard Bank when they met, while Ron Parsonage was a strapping 25-year-old man working as a division manager at Payne Brothers. “I knew of him before we met because a colleague of mine lived with him. I honestly liked his car more – it was brand new,” she chuckled “After our meeting, we went on many dates at the bioscope, played badminton every month at the municipality hall in Durban and once a month we went dancing in Durban North.”
The two courted for two years before getting married on 4 April 1953 at the Central Methodist Church. They moved to Montclair in 1955 when Ron became part of the Montclair-Mowat Park and New Forest school’s committee. He and the committee were responsible for the upkeep of the schools. Phyllis began her lifelong involvement with the Women’s Institute and Women’s Auxiliary where she was the president for both organisations.
The two were inseparable and did almost everything together such as gardening. “Every September we had a garden party to raise funds for the Women’s Auxiliary in our garden,” added Phyllis.
Their family grew bigger when they had two boys, Ronald and Brian and two girls, Felicity and Sally- Lynn. Their children later blessed them with seven grandchildren and they, in turn, brought nine great-grandchildren into their lives.
Ron and Phyllis now 93 and 88 reminisced about the times spent with their children. “In our days there was no crime as it was unheard of. We would play outside with the neighbourhood children, and Ron would play sports with them. In those days there were no TVs, it was simpler times,” she added.
When asked what their advice is to younger couples, they said, “Younger couples should not be intimate with each other before marriage.”
DID YOU KNOW?
Click on the words highlighted in red to read more on this and related topics.
To receive news links via WhatsApp, send an invite to 061 876 3179
The Southlands Sun is also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest – why not join us there?
Do you have more information pertaining to this story?
Feel free to let us know by commenting on our facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist.
(Comments posted on this issue may be used for publication in the Sun)
