MP congratulates couple on 70th wedding anniversary
Posted April 03, 2018
Jack and Fay Miller of Victor Harbor are celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary today (April 3).
The couple, both aged in their early 90s, first met in Grade 2 at a primary school in Gawler.
But they didn’t start courting until they were in their late teens after meeting again while attending the Elder Methodist Church in Kilkenny.
Federal Member for Mayo Rebekha Sharkie visited the Millers’ home recently to personally congratulate the couple before their anniversary.
Rebekha asked them the secret to a long and happy marriage.
The Millers agreed that communication was the key.
“I come from a family of eight and I could never ever remember my Mother and Father having an argument, never,” Mr Miller said.
“And when our (wedding) day came along Dad had a yarn with us and he said much the same thing.
"’If you want a happy life’, he said, ‘don't argue, talk things out, never go to bed, if you've got a difference sit down and talk it out’.
“Seventy years coming up and I can honestly say we've never had an argument.
“If we've got a difference we sit down and talk about it.”
Mrs Miller said her Mother made her wedding dress from crochet cotton because of the shortage of sewing cotton after World War II.
The couple farmed cattle and pigs on farms on the northern Adelaide Plains before moving to Adelaide and then retiring to Victor Harbor in 1993.
They raised three sons and have seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
“My office has sent out congratulatory letters for many 50th anniversaries, and even a few 60th anniversaries, but the Millers’ anniversary was the first 70th to come across my desk since I came to my office so I couldn’t resist dropping in to see them and personally hand them my letter of congratulations and some flowers,” Rebekha said.
“It was wonderful to see a couple still so in love.
“I think their message about good communication in a marriage is wonderful advice for all of us in our relationships.
“My office can assist individuals and couples celebrating a special birthday or wedding anniversary to receive personal congratulations from the Prime Minister, Governor-General or even the Queen, in certain circumstances.
“But I would urge our residents to provide us two months’ notice so we can assist in collating the appropriate documentation to leave sufficient time for the applications to be processed.”
For more information call the Mount Barker electorate office on 8398 5566 or visit rebekhasharkie.com.au.
