John & Mary have been married for 67 years.
John was born in November 1934, in Fullham England.
He had one sister. He used to walk to school in the snow in shorts, as long pants were a luxury item that most couldn't afford. He was almost 5 when the war broke out, he remembers the sky being black with bombers going over. Many streets close by to him were evacuated, but his family was able to stay.
He left school at age 15 & worked in a bakery, but at age 16 he joined the Merchant Navy.
It took him to many places including Australia & New Zealand. After 3.5 years in the Navy he snuck himself into Australia as an illegal immigrant.. ( he tells me he has the papers to call him a citizen now)
He became a Customs Preventative Officer searching vessels in Newcastle.
He took early Retirment at 60, then had a heart attack! he needed a 5 way bypass.
Mary was born in Mayfield Newcastle in 1936.
She had one brother.
She grew up on a dairy farm, & said she hated it..
She left school at age 15, her first job was at Reg A Bakers, a sports store working in the office.
A handsome gentleman asked her to dance one night at a local dance.. she was 18.
After marrying John in Tarro NSW they went on to have 3 daughters together. The first arriving 10 months after they were married.
After her first daughter was born, Mary was in a car accident & broke her pelvis. She was in hospital for 5 weeks. The doctor told her she would be unable to have any more children, however she went on to have two more just to prove him wrong.
Mary took up a job at Steggles chickens injecting the butter into the birds as part of their processing. She could process 12 birds a minute, but has the permanent reminder of this work as her fingers became very twisted as a consequence.
She also worked at Hunter Valley Private hospital in the laundry & kitchen.
They have 8 grandchildren, & 17 Great grandchildren.
