Elgin couple celebrate diamond wedding anniversary at Anderson's Care Home
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AN ELGIN couple celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary last week at Anderson's Care Home.
Grant and Freda Munro's wedding took place at the High Church in Lossiemouth – now St James' Church – on March 25, 1961, and they have been happily married ever since.
Grant said it was "more or less love at first sight" when the couple met at the Bishopmill Hall dances in 1958 and, despite several challenges, the pair's relationship has never faltered.
Freda has spent the last few years in Anderson's Care Home, while Grant remains at home, so the two had just a short window of time to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary together.
"It was just a lovely afternoon," Grant said. "Anderson's have been really, really good.
"Freda has been in care for three years. I just bide across the road, I could shout over 'good morning', but it's a big miss not being with her every day.
"But when I visit I see how well she is being looked after."
There have been several challenges along the way for the couple – not least when Freda was diagnosed with arthritis aged just 37.
But they have overcome everything, often with the help of their three children Brian (58), Gordon (57) and Morag (50).
The majority of the time together has been spent making happy family memories, with the couple now proud grandparents of Nicola, Claire and Sarah.
Grant added: "We met at the Bishopmill Hall dances in 1958 and it was more or less love at first sight. She made sure work of that!
"We have never balled and shouted at one another. We just ironed out our disagreements. She is very easy to live with.
"Freda took arthritis at 37 and it passed through her whole body. She had a lot of operations but we stuck together as a family.
"It was just incredible what the children did for us at a young age, ironing their own clothes and cleaning all the dishes."
Grant worked on a farm, while Freda worked as a cleaner at Dr Gray's Hospital while she was able.
Linda, care team manager at Anderson's Care Home, added: "Freda had a great day and really enjoyed it.
"She listened to her favourite songs and got her cards from the Queen and Lord Lieutenant, which she is delighted with.
"They are just a lovely couple and a lovely family."
While Moray's Lord Lieutenant Major General Seymour Monro couldn't congratulate the couple in person, recently-appointed Deputy Lieutenant Joan Cowe, who is a member of staff at Anderson’s, presented the couple with their cards on behalf of the Queen and the Lieutenancy of Moray.
She said: "Freda and Grant were quite overwhelmed by it all. They are so incredibly humble and gracious.
"They were later surprised by playing a personal song that is significant to them, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.
"It’s a beautiful thing to witness two lovely people obviously still very much in love after all these years."
