Ripley couple celebrates 60th wedding anniversary

What started as a chance meeting turned into a romance and resulted in a lifetime together for Andy and Ann Groenveld of Ripley.

The couple celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary surrounded by family, friends and neighbours at RVilla, Saturday afternoon. Their actual anniversary date is Feb. 23, but they waited until better weather to hold their party.

Originally from Holland, Andy and Ann met in 1949. He had just been discharged from the army and was off to store some of his belongings in a locker at the city bus station in Leeuwarden. At the same time, there was a big youth rally for all church denominations in the city.

So, after dropping off his stuff in the locker, Andy met his friend at the North Church, and, with some time to spare, they went for lunch. The restaurant was busy and they were searching for a place to sit when they spied two girls sitting at a table with two empty seats. They ended up joining them and enjoying a delightful lunch together.

"I don't remember what we had for lunch," recalls Andy, "but we had lots of laughs anyway. It was so nice to be young. The boys were called skirt-chasers back then."

They went their separate ways but met by chance again at the bus station when the boys were retrieving their belongings.

"We took them to a restaurant for a treat," says Andy, "and then we went for a walk afterwards to get to know each other better."

Ann and Andy dated until they were separated yet again when he left for Canada in 1951. At that time, immigrants needed a sponsor or had to be married in order to enter the country.

"I was only 18, and wasn't ready to get married then," recalls Ann. "My mother was sick as well. It just wasn't the right time to leave."

Andy worked on a farm in Nova Scotia for a year before setting off for Ontario where he worked on various farms and a logging camp. While he was working at the logging camp, he realized he missed his girl and decided to go back to Holland and get his "sweetie."

They were married Feb. 23, 1955, at the Christian Reformed Church in Holland. About two weeks later, on March 11, they left Rotterdam, Netherlands, for Canada.

With only $10 in their pockets, Ann and Andy arrived in Canada and made arrangements to stay with Andy's sister until he lined up a job in Brantford. By 1960, they were renting a farm near Brantford and Andy worked for Summerhays Lumber. In 1963, they purchased their first farm between Brussels and Walton.

They had a family of five: Arthur George, born July 23, 1956; Stewart Gordon, born Sept. 21, 1958 (died Oct. 28, 2014); Gordon Andrew, born March 13, 1961; Andrew Robert, born June 29, 1968; and Anita Josephine, born Nov. 2, 1971.

Andy and Ann enjoyed raising their family, and now have 11 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

In September, 1985, they retired, sold their farm and moved to Kincardine. They later spent 15 years in Lucknow before moving to an apartment in Ripley, owned by their daughter and son-in-law, Anita and Gary Rutledge.

Andy turns 87 on May 22, and Ann will be 83 on May 13. They used to travel to Florida during the winters but not anymore; and they used to make trips back to Holland regularly to visit family there, but there are fewer family members to visit anymore.

They enjoy playing cards with their friends, doing puzzles, taking in the entertainment at RVilla, and they are volunteer drivers for the residents of RVilla. They are also members of St. Andrew's United Church, and Ann does knitting for the church.

As they celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary, Andy admits that it requires a lot of give-and-take to make a marriage work.

"You have to appreciate life," he says. "We live in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. We have seen so many changes. When we came to Canada, there were 60-million people. Now, that number has doubled."

Following the come-and-go tea at RVilla Saturday afternoon, Andy and Ann and their family were off for supper at the Ripley Legion.



Andy (L) and Ann Groenveld of Ripley celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary, Saturday afternoon, at RVilla in Ripley