50 years strong

By David Dunkley, Staff Reporter

Ethlyn and Arnold Lawrence - contributed

LONG-LASTING, wonderful, breathtaking, marvellous, spell binding. These are just some of the words which can be used to describe the marriage of Ethlyn and Arnold Lawrence.

It is no surprise then that the couple from Lenox, Big Woods in Westmoreland on Wednesday celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and they are looking forward to many more together.

The two met while they were living in the district in 1946. At that time Ethlyn was a dressmaker who lived with her parents while Arnold was a farmer.

She recalled that Arnold was trying to talk to her for a long time but she was not interested. "I used to pass his house everyday and everytime he would call out to me but I wouldn't pay him no mind," she recalled. "I wasn't interested in no one at that time."

She said all this changed one day when he met her on the road and without warning just told her to visit him at his house that evening. Surprisingly, she did and from then they became friends and started going out together.

After approximately six years of being friends, the couple decided the time was right to tie the knot and Arnold popped the big question. They exchanged wedding vows on August 15, 1951 at Ethlyn's parents home.

The couple spend most of their time at home now. They say they enjoy each other's company and spend a lot of time remembering their past.

In terms of their health, Mrs. Lawrence says she suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure and is currently taking medication. She explains that she also gets minor attacks of arthritis.

Mr. Lawrence is also troubled by high blood pressure and this sometimes forces him to use a walking stick. They are members of the Brethren Moravian Church which is located a few kilometres from their home.

The couple are the proud parents of 10 sons and two daughters. Eight of the boys and both of the girls have got married. They have 36 grandchildren and nine great grand -children.

The Lawrences admit that they are not the perfect couple and they say they do have their share of problems, but God has helped them thus far and will continue to do so. "It was hard, very hard especially when we just started because we were very poor and didn't have anything, but the Lord helped us so that we could manage," Mrs. Lawrence said.

They say they have disagreements but they always manage to talk it over.

They advise young people who are contemplating marriage, that if they want a successful and long-lasting marriage they need to seek the Lord's help. "Let God choose your partner for you, you don't choose them for yourself," Mrs. Lawrence pointed out.

Back to Star Page