“I once asked my mom, 'What's the meaning of life?' and she said 'To love one another.”
And that is exactly what Billy, 85, and Magdalene Baatjes, 84, did for 60 years of wedded bliss.
The Baatjes celebrated their Diamond anniversary surrounded by loved ones in Kensington on Thursday.
Billy, who worked at post offices across the metro, said he he cannot even remember exactly when he first met the love of his life, but one thing he knows for sure is that she was as beautiful then as she is today.
He says: “I played saxophone in different bands, dance bands, Christmas bands, and gospel bands.
“One day one of the members told me about her, he showed photos, she caught my eye. Then he invited her when we went dancing and the rest is history.”
Magdalene said the sparks flew immediately when she heard him play the sax.
She recalls: “I didn’t know him from Adam, but as soon as we met, we hit it off, we clicked immediately, he literally blew me away!”
The couple say they don’t remember for how long they dated before they got married, but will never forget their big day.
“We got married at the Good Shepherd Anglican Church in Kensington. I had on a long white dress with a veil,” Magdalene says, with Billy adding, “yes, very traditional”.
They say like any married couple they had their fair share of bitter and sweet, but both were committed to making it work.
“To finish off our dream we were blessed with three beautiful daughters and two grandchildren.”
And their secret to love?
Billy says: “God, He is at the centre. It is His grace who brought us through these years.
“With that, remember to honour your parents, try to pray together as much as you can, and worship together.”
Billy added he would do it again in a heartbeat, saying: “Being married all these years, I can proudly say I have a really good wife. It’s a pleasure doing life with her, I will do it over and over for her, I don't regret it.”
The couple’s daughter, 48-year-old Deidre Baatjes, said her parents have certainly lived up to her mom’s motto of loving one another.
She says: “This is such a milestone and we are blessed to experience this type of love.”
tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za