By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
AT THE age of 90, it wasn’t easy for Albert Dewit to get on one knee and propose again to his wife of 60 years, Joyce, last month.
But he wanted to do things properly so there he was, on the floor of his daughter’s house in Endeavour Hills, holding his wife’s hand and getting prepared for their official 60th wedding anniversary on Saturday 22 February.
The couple’s daughter, Rosanne Bertoch, said plans for her parents’ special anniversary began very innocently.
“I was at mum’s, because she’s always wanted to do something special for her 60th wedding anniversary and she said, ‘Rosanne can I have a cake? I never had a wedding cake.’ And I said ‘of course you can mum, would you like to get married again too?’” Rosanne laughed.
“Mum said yes and then dad asked her to marry him again, he got on his knees and proposed to her.
“Then it just went from there.”
Joyce, 82, was born in England and came to Australia in 1950, before meeting Albert, who was from Holland, at a dance here in 1951.
“We had just come over from overseas when we got married, we didn’t know many people. We just found a little church with about half a dozen friends and then just went to a hotel for dinner.
“No thoughts of a wedding cake or anything, just a little church in South Melbourne.”
The anniversary celebrations, to be held at Rosanne’s house, have been meticulously planned and will include everything from a decorated car with a chauffeur to a lawn decorated with balloons, and will culminate in Joyce and Albert renewing their vows.
The pair will be joined by a host of guests, including many of their children, grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
Joyce also attends church in Keysborough and its pastor will hold the ceremony.
“Dad really surprised me, straight away when he talked about this song that had to be played,” Rosanne said.
“When I read the words to it, I thought they were so beautiful. I never knew he was so romantic!”
Albert’s only stipulation was simple – that the song It Had To Be You, by Frank Sinatra, was played at the anniversary.
