John and Edna Ormonde have been married 60 years as of Thursday, August 24.

“And I thank you for our years together because without you it wouldn’t have happened,” Mrs Ormonde told her husband, with tears in her eyes, in the presence of their grown up sons John and Kevin.

“You are the treasure of my life John, and I am glad that I chose you. I’ll never forget the day you walked up to Freckleton’s door. 

“‘Dear Lord, I want to marry this man one day’ are the words I said to myself and it happened. And 60 years later we are still so happy.” 

Mrs Ormonde had only started  working at Freckleton’s general store in Camooweal, when a man in a tailored suit walked in. The man, of course, was a much younger John Ormonde, who was surveying the Burketown to Camooweal Road. 

His tailored made suit impressed Edna, and he also became a regular customer, mainly buying comics. Mrs Freckleton soon noticed he was buying comics he already owned.

“You bought that comic yesterday,” Mrs Ormonde recalled Mrs Freckleton saying one day. 

“No, Mrs Freckleton, I didn’t,” Mr Ormonde had said. 

“John,” she said. “I sold it to you. 

Mr Ormonde needed a new excuse to visit Freckleton’s. So he bought a gramophone and started a record collection. He collected more than 100 records from the store. 

Edna’s father was Jack Dalley, a legendary gunman who served in World War One. When John’s friends learned whose daughter he was seeing they joked that he should be careful because Mr Dalley was great at using his rifle. 

“I said ‘I kind of hope he doesn’t need it,’” Mr Ormonde said. Fortunately Mr Dalley and Mr Ormonde had a mutual friend, who John would bring round to visit. 

The Ormondes married at the Charters Towers Methodist Church on Saturday, August 24, 1957. 

They had three children; Lorriane Edna, John Henry and Kevin Lionel. Lorriaine was 15 when she died in tragic circumstances, and the loss was felt in the Ormonde’s room this week. 

“But we have got John and Kevin here, and they brought us grandchildren. We are so proud of the grandchildren,” Mrs Ormonde said. 

“I prayed nothing would go wrong to bring us to this today and I’m glad it’s here.”