Golden day for city couple

GOLDEN WEDDING: Their secret is out ? compromise is the key to marriage longevity.
Jurgen (Joss) and Riekie Dykstra celebrate 50 years of marriage today with family, friends and their marriage celebrant, Major Robertson of the Salvation Army.
Friendship and understanding mark marriage, with compromise the key to their 50 years, the Dykstra's said.
"Marriage is full of ups and downs, and after the downs everything is wonderful again.
"It has been a good life and we have been fortunate."
The young Dutch couple met in Holland in the town of Leeuwarden Frieschland, the home of Fresian cows ? Jurgen was an 18-year-old "country boy" and Riekie a 16- year-old "city girl" . "We were in groups of boys and girls and met on Queens Birthday.
"I told Joss I could ice-skate, but I couldn't really, so he taught me." Theirs was a friendship only at that time.
Three years later, in the early 50s, Joss went to Riekie and told her he was leaving for New Zealand, to which the then 19- year-old jumped at the chance of an adventure and said, "That's good, I'll come with you."
Unemployment was rife in Holland and New Zealand wanted single people and people with trades.
The young carpenter went through rigorous interviewing over eight months, signed a two-year contract to stay bonded to a New Zealand employer, and boarded the SS Waterman on August 7, 1954.
The couple corresponded for eight months and the following year, on April 20 1955, the adventurous Riekie boarded the Zuiderkruis with a girlfriend and 1000 Dutch nationals for the five-week trip to the other side of the world.
Before they emigrated, the travellers were told to integrate with New Zealanders and take a shower or bath every day.
The Dykstras said they believed the Dutch did integrate well while retaining their national identity.
"We found the standard of manners very high and people were polite."
Jobs were plentiful in Wanganui and when the young Riekie arrived, she went to work for a family looking after their children.
There were many sewing factories in Wanganui employing women, so Riekie put her sewing skills to work and joined Chilco and later McKeskies.
Mr Dystra worked out his time and eventually started his own building business.
The couple married seven years after arriving in Wanganui and have three children -Les, Catherine, and Truda who was born in Holland on a trip back to their homeland, still lives there.
The Dykstras lived in Aramoho for 28 years before they moved to their current "Dutch-designed and built home" in Springvale where they have lived for 20 years.
Over home-baked muffins Mr Dykstra said of his wife, "She can still spark."
And it was not for this journalist to ask for the detail.