Couple toasts to 50 years of marriage
Richard and Helen Steel are celebrating 50 years of marriage, reflecting on love, compromise and a lifetime together.
OPPOSITES attract. The old saying rings true for Richard and Helen Steel, who recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
The couple said their long-lasting marriage is rooted in working through challenges and making compromises along the way.
Speaking to the Highway Mail, they admitted they were still shocked to have reached the golden anniversary milestone.
Also read: Childhood prank turns into a 60-year love story
“How could it have gone by so quickly? One minute you’ve just got married with small children, and the next you have grandchildren,” asked Helen with a smile.
Growing up in a small community in Swaziland, Richard said everyone knew each other.
“Richard was working at a bank and I was working at a pharmacy across the road. The cashier told me there was a young man who often came over and that I should meet him,” recalled Helen.
When the two finally met, Richard asked Helen to a rugby dance.
“We went to watch a game and then went to a hotel with a group of friends, where we ate and danced. I fell in love with her, and the next day I told my parents about her,” said Richard.
The couple dated for three years before tying the knot.
As Richard did not have Swaziland citizenship, he left his banking job and worked as a cashier at a casino. He later moved to Durban, where he worked as a trainee manager at Checkers.
During this time, he travelled back and forth to visit his parents and fiancée.
“We arranged the wedding in Durban and had to drive to Swaziland with the cake. We didn’t have a honeymoon because three weeks after we got married, Richard had to join the army for three months,” said Helen.
In their marriage, the Steels were blessed with two daughters and now have two grandchildren. Richard still works as a financial adviser, while Helen retired after working as her husband’s personal assistant for 31 years.
The couple recently moved to Gillitts after living in New Germany for 43 years.
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