Celebrating 75 years
The year 1945 may have been the end of a significant era in world history, but it was also the start of a significant future for Napier couple Dawn and Jeff Laurent.
The couple was married at St Pat’s in Napier on March 3, 1945 and yesterday celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary.
Jeff, who was 20 when he married 18-year-old Dawn, says there was nothing he would change about his wife — she shares similar sentiments.
“I like everything about Jeffrey,” Dawn says.
Family has been the central focus of the Laurent’s long union — they have four daughters and three sons.
“They’re all lovely — every one of them,” Dawn says.
Number seven, daughter Deborah, says her parents were firm believers in not letting the sun go down on an argument.
“They always instilled that in us.”
And the adage that a family who plays together stays together has not been lost on the Laurent clan, with sport being a major part of family life. Living over the back fence of Whitmore Park helped.
“We were all pretty active and did a lot of sports — a lot together. We went everywhere with whatever sport we had,” Jeff says.
With rugby, horse riding, skating or fishing taking up a lot of their spare time, holidays were also a big part of family life.
“We went camping at the beaches, made make-shift shelters, went fishing, says Deborah. Jeff and eldest daughter Eve were great surfcasters, Deborah says.
“We always ate really well from the land — wild pork and venison, we had a big vege garden, fruit trees and chooks. And Mum has always been a superb baker — the tins were always full.”
Eve says her Mum also baked bread rolls on Saturdays and fed all the ‘extras’ after sports.
“We didn’t have a lot of money but we didn’t go without.”
Dawn was also a dab hand with the sewing machine, making all their skating costumes and school uniforms. Dawn says they are most proud of every one of their kids. “It’s about togetherness.”
Jeff says the kids have always been “as thick as thieves”. Deborah and Eve agree.
“We’ve always hung out together and have been quite social. We actually respect each other.” Fitting into a two-and-a-half bedroom home — the same one Jeff and Dawn have lived in for 70 years — was no mean feat. And there was often room for more.
“I was actually allowed billets. And there was always order,” Eve says. Jeff says disciplining the children was about using his ‘serious’ voice.
“The best thing is we never had to lay a hand on them. I had no wish to whack the kids — I didn’t like that.”
This weekend the family will get together and celebrate the couple’s long marriage the way they know best — with a barbecue lunch at the family home.
‘We didn’t have a lot of money but we didn’t go without.’
DAUGHTER EVE