Jannes and Marjorie Horchner of Beachmere. Their secret? “Discuss everything.”
Jannes (John) and Marjorie Horchner sat holding hands, and immediately you felt a strong love and the bonds between the two of them. After sixty years of marriage, there is something extraordinary here. They were married on 13 January 1962.
"We are very humble people", John said, as we arranged to meet and to discuss their life together. John and Marj, as they prefer to be known, are long-time residents of Beachmere who purchased their block back in the seventies. They camped on the block until being told by the council they weren't allowed to camp on their land. So, John and Marj went further down the road where they found a builder who said he would build them a three-bedroom home in three weeks from when they paid their deposit. And, sure enough, true to his word, they had their newly built home in three weeks. Lessons here for today, I think! Since then they have expanded the family home with a large patio area, where we sat looking straight out to Moreton Island.
John, born in Holland, migrated to Australia post-war as a young boy with his family. "It was a very frightening experience coming to the other side of the world with many unknowns," John said, with the family split and some travelling to Melbourne, and he to Sydney, where they all finally reconnected. John recalls a very emotional time. After the war, Holland wanted to reduce the number of people living there, and Australia was looking for new migrants.
John, who has practical skills, was employed by the Postmaster General's Office (Telecom) as an Engineer until he retired at fifty-five. Marj initially worked in a clothing factory until she discovered Tupperware and worked for years in product distribution. During this time, they raised a family and were blessed with two sons and two daughters and now have nine grandkids and four great-grandkids. They rightly are very proud of their family and achievements.
They love to travel, have taken many cruises, and travelled all over Australia in a caravan, with many lovely memories. They are also members of the local Probus Club.
What was their secret to a long marriage? John immediately replied, "Yes Dear"! It’s all about compromise. They discuss everything. A kitchen table is an important place where many things are discussed and debated. They would never make a large purchase without a joint agreement; money was always 50-50, with joint bank accounts. The relationship is all built on trust. And care for each other. It is about being soul mates together. Both have solid Christian values and are active members of the local Uniting Church community.
When asked how they celebrate Valentine's Day, John said, "We may be persuaded to give each other a kiss, or perhaps a card, but after sixty years of marriage, we don't need the trimmings to show our love for each other".
Before I left, John showed me around his garden, referring to it as his "jungle". As a botanist, John has a strong interest in plants and gives lectures. Told once that palm trees wouldn't grow at Beachmere, he proved everyone wrong with a magnificent collection of a wide variety of palms, stretching way into the sky - including the best collection of Staghorn ferns, I‘ve ever seen. - with seedlings and new plants growing everywhere.
It is clear from this couple’s example that the simple things in life bring much joy, happiness, and a long and successful marriage.
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