DIAMOND WEDDING

Waikato Independent, Volume XLIII, Issue 3948, 28 January 1944, Page 2

DIAMOND WEDDING

ANNIVERSARY ON SATURDAY. MR AND MRS A. W. MARTIN To-morrow (Saturday) two old identities of Cambridge will celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary, or in other words, the completion of 00 years of married life. When an Independent representative visited the old couple yesterday at their home on the Hamilton Road he found the bride and bridegroom of GO years ago well. Mr and Mrs Alfred William Martin were married at Cobar, New South Wales, a mining centre, 500 miles west of Sydney. Mr Martin was born in Blackwood and Mrs Joanna Martin at Bendigq. They were married on January 29, 1884 by the Rev. James Bowring. a Methodist Minister. Mr Martin followed the trade of a blacksmith in New South Wales and did so until Mrs Martin and he and the family of four children, came to New Zealand in December, 1901. Mr Martin then went in for market gardening at Avondale; also poultry farming. They came to Cambridge in 1920 to retire and have lived here since. Mrs- Martin mentioned that her mother remembered the first gold "strike" at Bendigo.

Methodist Stalwarts. A fine old couple—typical examples of happy married life—Mr and Mrs Martin are stout Methodists and have been so all their lives. The first Methodist services in Avondale were held in Mr Martin's home. Mr Martin has been a laypreacher and Mrs Martin is a lifepresident of the W.C.T.U. She has been a member of this organisation for 50 years and for 20 years she was president of the Cambridge branch. She has been a Methodist Sunday School teacher for the greater part of her life and among her prized possessions are three Sunday School .Union diplomas. They are for 43 years, 53 years and 66 years service respectively as a teacher. Mrs Martin has always enjoyed good health and the same applies to Mr Martin, except that he is somewhat handicapped to - day through a former injury to his right hip. But this does not prevent him from working his garden, which obviously, is his great hobby and joy. Mr Martin has lost none of his ability to raise vegetables, as our representative saw for himself. His little workshop is also filled with all manner of implements and one can easily see where Mr Martin would spend his hours on a rainyday. A

The surviving members of Mr and Mrs Martin's family are: Miss Ruby Martin, of Cambridge: Mrs McLiver, of Benton Harbour, Lake Michigan, U.S.A.. and Mr T. H. Martin, of Avondale. There children and 10 great-grandchildren.

To-morrow Mr arid Mrs Martin will receive many/ congratulatory messages and the wish from a wide circle of friends will be that they will be spared to celebrate further Anniversaries of a long and happy married life.