Will You Be Mine?

Tears, laughter, photo albums and fond memories were shared across the dining table at Kevin and Marie Fletcher’s home last week. Having just celebrated their 60th (diamond) wedding anniversary, Kevin surprised Marie with a beautiful blue moissanite ring which was designed and made by himself.

“OMG Kevin, I’ve got a tear in my eye.. oh darling, isn’t it gorgeous!” Exclaimed Marie as she unpackaged the box wrapped
with love.

 Kevin and Marie first met in 1957 when Kevin moved from Coonabarabran to Blacktown and joined the Methodist church choir, where Marie was a church organist.

“I saw these gorgeous brown eyes walk in,” Marie giggled. “It’s funny how your world works out. We were both heavily involved with the church, that’s mainly where we would see one another.” As Kevin worked in Sydney and Marie worked in St Mary’s, the pair didn’t cross paths much during the week.

“I was also a tennis player and Kevin used to see me in this little, short skirt,” Marie laughed.

 After many dates and time spent together, Kevin said he ‘just knew’, that Marie was the one. “It was after a prayer meeting that we had walked out and got into the car, so I didn’t get on one knee..” Kevin smiled. “I was very nervous to propose and I had asked Marie’s parents beforehand, so I did the right thing.”

Marie added, “I can tell you the exact words.. it was, “Will you be mine?”

Kevin and Marie were then married in 1961 at the Blacktown Methodist Church. A beautiful beginning to the rest of their life together.

 During their younger years, some of Marie and Kevin’s fondest memories together stem from their involvement in the Rolls Royce Car owners club. A club they have been with for over 25 years, and it has certainly led them to rub shoulders with plenty of VIPs.

“Oh you know what, you’ll laugh at this,” Marie exclaimed, “One weekend we went to Lady Fairfax’s home, there was a Club meeting there... and Kevin got her tiddly,” Marie laughed, “… he got her tiddly.. he made a home brew apple cider. She came around and talked to us all and she said what are you drinking?” Kevin continued, “I said this is my home brew, she said, can I try it?

 “So, I gave her a glass, I don’t know if it made her tiddly or not, but she then invited us into her home to take a look, it was a beautiful mansion.

“She walked into one of the rooms and she said, ‘This is my sunroom, it’s my favourite’, we thought.. there aren’t very many windows in here.. where’s the sun, it was quite dark? She pressed a button and the whole roof opened, it was like a glass flower opening up, it was incredible”.

Another of Kevin’s favourite memories, again included a Rolls Royce experience.

“Back in 1959, I worked in Sydney, I walked out in my lunch hour and I saw a lot of people crowding around Market Street, so I thought, I’ll go up and see what this is all about. I said to someone, what’s happening here? And he said, The Queen Mother is about to drive through. This beautiful big black Rolls Royce with flags on the mudguards came, and the Queen Mother was in the back seat.. I said to myself, I love that car, one of these days, I’m going to own a car like that.

“So.. I was hankering to buy another one, as I had sold the one I owned to purchase some property. We saw an advert for a Kinross Wolaroi Charity Auction, and so we went along, there happened to be a Rolls Royce, we checked it out and it turns out I won the auction. It wasn’t until a few days later, that I realised it was the very car that the Queen Mother had been transported in.”

After 15 years, the Fletcher’s decided to move and try life on the land. Kevin and Marie lived on their sheep and cattle property in Larras Lee for 20 years, residing just out of Molong, along the Molong river. “It’s a great life,” said Marie. “We feel like we’ve done our bit for the Country. We’ve endured awful droughts (approx. four) we had several major floods, we were battling to survive. But we loved the tranquility.”

After their time spent on the land the couple then found their home here in Orange. This opportunity brought them their well known wedding hire car business known as Prestige Bridal Transport, for this they used their Rolls Royce and Bentley cars. During this time they also volunteered
their services to transport disabled Ex Service Men and Women in the annual Anzac
Day march.

 Marie said, “The ladies used to get the giggles when they were waving to people, it was the loveliest thing to do it really was, I really enjoyed that experience.”

When Marie mentioned the two always kept busy, she certainly wasn’t joking. After Kevin retired from the workforce in 2007, the couple purchased a caravan and explored Australia over an 11 year period, covering a whopping 85,000kms. Kevin and Marie also toured overseas from Europe to England, Scotland and New Caledonia.

 Now-a-days both Kevin and Marie pursue interests in handicraft work, Kevin taking an interest in gemstone faceting and jewellery making, and Marie a folk artist.

“Our life has been a wonderful adventure,” said Kevin. “We’ve done so many wonderful things in our time. It hasn’t always been a smooth ride, but people ask us all the time what the secret is… I think really listening to the other persons point of view and accept what you can’t change.

“We’ve had some very proud moments. I’d have to say our proudest were when our three children were born. And our six grandchildren and our five and a half great grandchildren, they are just gorgeous.”

Marie continued, “It’s hard to think we’ve been married for 60 years.. I’m amazed. We’ve done lots of things and we’ve done it all together, as a team. He’s a funny man, I’m always laughing at him, all the time. But.. really and truly.. we are content, we’ve always been content. We’ve never wanted. So many people want the most expensive house on the street.. don’t want what the person down the road wants.. why would we want anything better than this..”

Congratulations Kevin and Marie, what an honour it was to experience a taste of your wonderful life together.