Former Teenage Sweethearts Mamie, 96, And Gerald, 95, Celebrate 75 Years Of Marriage
One of the UK’s longest-married couples have celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary at the Chichester care home where they both live.
Sarah, known as ‘Mamie’, Openshaw, 96, and her husband Gerald, 95, marked their amazing milestone with a party at Colten Care’s Wellington Grange.
Mamie was just 15 and Gerald 14 when they first met at their local Baptist church in Dorking, Surrey.
Life went on to take the teenage sweethearts in different directions as Mamie moved to America for a year while Gerald studied hotel management at Westminster Catering College.
But fate had other plans.
When Mamie returned to England, she signed up with the Women’s Royal Naval Service and trained as an WRNS air mechanic in Cornwall.
Gerald was stationed in Aldershot during his National Service. They met by chance at Waterloo Station while they were both on leave.
Gerald managed to get a transfer to Bodmin to be closer to Mamie. With their paths crossing again, they began to meet up on weekends or otherwise when their respective service commitments allowed.
Six months later they were engaged.
They married at St Paul’s Church in Dorking on a snowy day in spring 1950 and began their married life in Brighton.
The anniversary party was blessed by sunshine in the garden of the Broyle Road home and included a live performance of show tunes by singer Katie Brown.
When asked the secret to their 75 years together, Mamie said: “We made a pact never to go to bed on an argument. Always sort it out before sleep.”
The home’s Companionship Team leader Lana Harmon said: “We were honoured to throw a joyful celebration for Mamie and Gerald, a couple whose love has truly stood the test of time.”
While statistics on British 75th wedding anniversaries are not consistently collected, the US Census Bureau estimates there are only around 1,000 American couples who have currently reached the milestone. That’s less than a tenth of one per cent of all US marriages.
