by Bonnie Collings

There aren't many people who can say they've received a letter from both King Charles and Queen Elizabeth. In fact, there are even fewer people who can say they've celebrated 70 years of marriage.

Well known Neerim South residents Stan and Maureen Gleeson can claim both milestones, having celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary last week.
Attributing their long partnership to a strong connection with family, their faith, and their respect for each other, Stan and Maureen share a deep bond, made stronger by their years of teamwork.
The couple's love story began in mid 1952.
"A chap at my work was going out with Maureen's younger sister," Stan said.
The couple were attending an upcoming ball and needed to find a partner for Maureen. "This chap asked me if I would meet (Maureen). The four of us went to the pictures first and then we went to the ball. It took off from there."
Maureen recalled being very nervous before meeting Stan for the first time. The movie they saw on their first date was "Singing in the Rain". Stan said whenever the movie aired on television years later, it brought back the nervous, first date butterflies for him and Maureen.
Living not too far from each other in Melbourne's inner suburbs, Maureen remembered Stan riding his push bike to come visit her at home.
During their courtship, Stan and Maureen often went to the cinema and attended reviews and plays at Maureen's tennis club.
"We were a couple of shy types I suppose, but we clicked," Stan said.
After about two and a half years of courting and building a strong connection with each other, Stan and Maureen married on February 12, 1955.
The wedding was held at Our Lady Help of Christians church in East Brunswick, followed by a reception at Maureen's home, catered by her mother.
Once married, the couple was set to move to Neerim South so Stan could work at his father's timber mill.
Maureen remembered her parents feeling uneasy with the idea of her moving away from Melbourne.
"My mother was a bit unhappy because she knew I'd be coming up to the country to live, she didn't like the idea of that," Maureen said.
"I remember sitting at the table with Maureen's mother, trying to allay her concerns about (moving to Neerim South)," Stan said.
Maureen's older brother had married and built a house in Moorabbin. Stan remembers saying to Maureen's mother - "it takes about as long from their place to Moorabbin as it does from their place to Neerim South."
During their early days at Neerim South, Maureen felt as if she was "coming to the ends of the earth."
"I'd never been to the country," she said. "To come up here, away from my family, I was lonely."
Their house was simple, with a wood stove used for cooking, heating and hot water. One of the challenges Maureen faced was learning how to use the stove after having a gas cooktop. Despite having trouble lighting it and keeping the fire burning, Maureen didn't give up, determined to embrace country living.
A year later, Stan and Maureen had the first of six children. With each child, Maureen became more involved with the community and formed strong friendships with neighbours.
She ran mothers' clubs, volunteered at the netball club and participated in canteen duty, was on the hospital committee and even served as a volunteer ambulance staff member. Maureen also did bookkeeping for Stan's logging business.
For Stan and Maureen, family is everything.
With six children, 14 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren, their home is always full of people and their walls adorned with family photos.
"I wouldn't have wanted it any other way," Maureen said. "The kids have brought us a lot of pleasure."
"I get pleasure from watching the little ones grow and develop," Stan said. "We've got a big basket full of toys for them to enjoy. In years gone by I'd get down with the kids and play with them, but I'm not so quick at getting up now."
While their family is spread out geographically, Stan and Maureen regularly catch up with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren via Facetime calls.
When asked their advice on how to maintain a long and strong partnership, Stan and Maureen encouraged people to have consideration for their partner's needs and feelings.
"We realise that (life today) is quite different to when we were early in our marriage," Stan said. "But a mutual togetherness has helped us."
To celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary, Stan and Maureen travelled to Melbourne to have lunch with their family and received congratulatory letters from prominent politicians and King Charles, matching their 60th anniversary congratulatory letter from Queen Elizabeth.