By Melissa Grant
NEVER hold a grudge and always look to the future.
Those are the keys to a successful marriage accor-ding to Pakenham couple Ron and Josie Crossley, who today (Wednesday) celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary.
Ron and Josie met at a dance in England in 1942 and migrated to Australia 13 years later as ‘10-pound Poms’.
Josie, who was born in Ireland, said while the couple had experienced their fair share of arguments over the past 65 years they never let them drag out.
“It has a lot to do with how you get on with one another,” she said.
“You have your arguments and you make them up quickly, no fisticuffs or anything.”
And Ron, born in Paris, said that there was little point in dwelling on days gone by.
“In our life we don’t look in the past we look to the future,” he said.
The couple married at St Ethelbert Church in Slough, England, in 1944. They had two children, Pat and Phil, before boarding a ship to Australia where they added another two to their clan, Paul and Peter (deceased).
Josie said it was the warmer climate that attracted the family down under.
“We were too cold in England,” she said.
“Everyone had been talking about Australia and I thought I have to go somewhere warm.
“We decided on Australia and we love it.”
The couple became Australian citizens in 1972.
They have resided in Pakenham for almost 10 years and are members of St Patrick’s Catholic Church.
Josie and Ron, who have five grandchildren and two great grandchildren, will celebrate their milestone with family at Lakes Entrance.