The secret to a successful marriage
Graham and Val hold key to 66 years of marriage
After 66 happy years together, Mr Graham Marshall is still as devoted to his wife, Valda, as he was on the day they first met.
Sitting in Mrs Marshall’s room at Resthaven Port Elliot, Mr Marshall looks fondly at his wife of 66 years as he recalls their first meeting back in 1948, when they worked together at Ern Smiths.
‘I was 16 and Val was 18,’ he says. ‘I built radios in the workshop, and Val was in the office.’
‘I used to come back with my pint of milk for morning tea, and she’d give me a smile as I walked past the workshop.’
After a couple of weeks of this, Mr Marshall worked up the courage to ask her out, and the couple enjoyed the first of many dates at the Ozone Theatre at Prospect.
‘We used to sit in the back row so that I could put my arm around her,’ says Mr Marshall with a grin.
The couple were engaged in 1952, after gaining begrudging permission from Mrs Marshall’s father.
‘Her dad said we had to wait until I was 21,’ says Mr Marshall.
‘The day after my 21st birthday, I asked him if I could marry her – and he still said no!’
‘We finally got the word, and were married on 6 November, 1952, the day after Guy Fawkes.’
‘During the ceremony, when I went to say “I do,” I couldn’t, because my best friend Kelvin let off firecrackers outside the church during the vows. So, technically, I never said “I do” to my wife!’
The couple moved to a house they built themselves in Blair Athol, where they would stay for the next 50 years. Daughter, Rosalie, came along in 1955.
For a time, Mr and Mrs Marshall both worked at a company called James Walker. However, when Mr Marshall was promoted to a Managerial position, Mrs Marshall was no longer allowed to work in the office, as per company policy.
In 2003, the couple moved to Goolwa at the request of Rosalie (who then proceeded to move back to Adelaide, much to Mr Marshall’s wry amusement).
Mrs Marshall moved into Resthaven Port Elliot in 2017, and Mr Marshall has visited her every day since, his ongoing devotion to his wife clearly evident for all to see.
When asked about the secret to his long and happy marriage, Mr Marshall is very clear: ‘Working things out together – we always have.’
‘You just treat one another as you would like to be treated.’
Resthaven Port Elliot is just one of Resthaven’s eleven fully-accredited residential homes across South Australia, with a twelfth home opening at Aberfoyle Park in mid-2018 (link).
Resthaven also supports older people to live independently in their own homes through our community services locations in metropolitan Adelaide, the Murraylands, Fleurieu Peninsula and Limestone Coast.