Olaf, Evelyn Matz celebrate 70th anniversary
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Olaf and Evelyn Matz, who were married on March 27, 1946, celebrated their 70th anniversary Wednesday morning with their Aqua Fit friends at the Tillsonburg Community Centre.
Not only was March 27 his anniversary, it also marked Olaf's 95th birthday.
"Married on my birthday," Olaf nodded. "It was my birthday present and I've still got the present. I couldn't get anything better than that."
"It's a double celebration," said Evelyn, who looked up '70th anniversary' on the computer.
"Fifty is gold, 60 is diamond. And 70 is platinum. And there's nothing after that. Not too many have anniversaries after platinum.
"So we're going down in history," she added with a laugh.
"The greatest thing of all has been coming to the pool here," said Olaf, who learned to swim when he was 70, taught by Janet McCurdy. Soon after they were taking Aqua Fit classes together.
"It keeps us active," said Olaf.
"Oh for sure," said Evelyn. "Definitely, that's what keeps us as agile as we are. And you meet a lot of magnificent people. It's proven, look at how many are here today."
Twenty-five years later, they're till doing Aqua Fit three times a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
"Unless there's doctor appointments, and there's lots of those these days," said Olaf.
Evelyn, who turns 92 in May, grew up on Pelee Island, Ontario's extreme south. Olaf grew up in Underwood, near Port Elgin (Saugeen Shores). They didn't have access to community pools, and neither went to school past Grade 8. There was a continuation/high school on the island, said Evelyn, but it was too far away and she started working as a hired hand for her father after Grade 8. It was basically the same situation for Olaf in the days before bus transportation.
"High school was more or less for the rich kids," said Olaf.
Married in 1946, Olaf worked as a projectionist, including a seven-and-a-half year stint in Port Rowan and two years at a drive-in theatre in St. Thomas before getting a full-time job at The Strand in Tillsonburg in 1958.
"And I was at The Strand until it closed (1992)," he said.
Olaf and Evelyn, who were presented a certificate from Mayor Stephen Molnar Wednesday morning at the pool to go along with anniversary greetings from MPP Ernie Hardeman, MP Dave MacKenzie, and the Queen, celebrated their anniversary/birthday with a cupcake cake provided by Community Centre staff.
"Perfect," said Olaf.
"You two are perfect," said Julie Dawley, aquatics supervisor.