They only found out on their wedding day they would have to sign a marriage contract

As a result, she and her prospective husband, Ammi Kruger (90), had to run around to have a marriage contract drafted on their wedding day.

When they received it, Maria’s mother, Susan Ferreira, was caught by surprise and did not want to sign it in order to grant her young daughter permission to wed.

The couple were frantic, with Ammi telling his future mother-in-law: ”If you do not sign then you can keep her”.

Susan eventually signed the contract, despite Ammi’s ”cheeky” comment and the couple celebrated their 65-year anniversary on August 13, at their Rynfield home.

Maria is glad her mother signed the contract, ”else I would still have been without a man”, she joked.

The couple has been happily married and still enjoy each other’s company.

Maria, who is affectionately known as ”Smiley”, said she loves chatting to her husband, who is known by many as Paul.

The two met in Willowmore, in the Karoo, in 1947, while Ammi was a policeman.

”On a day she was riding a borrowed bicycle,” said their son, Hein Kruger.

”My father noticed that she was a bit unstable on the bicycle and he, as a policeman on duty, stopped her to enquire whether she had a driver’s licence for the bicycle.

”She told him that she didn’t realise that she needed a driver’s licence for a bicycle.

”He owned up to the fact that he was pulling her leg and the rest is history.”

The two were married in Willowmore, in 1949.

When Maria was asked how she managed to stay married for 65 years, she told Ammi to listen carefully.

”Now you must listen well,” she mocked.

”Are your ears open?”

”If I got the opportunity again I would marry him again,” she joked.

Ammi said he would do likewise.

Hein said his parents serve as inspiration to the family.

”They are very religious and there was always a strong love between them for one another, their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, which kept them together,” he added.

He said his mother, who did bookkeeping as a career, is best described as dynamite that comes in small packages, and his father as a man who could solve any problem the family was facing.

Ammi retired from the police force in 1982, with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Ammi and Maria have three children: Hein, Marius and Paul, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.