They have been friends for 16 years after meeting at Biotrim, an exercise programme they attend in Primrose.<\/p>\n
\u201cUntil two weeks ago we didn\u2019t even know that we celebrated our wedding anniversaries on the same day,\u201d Janetta said.<\/p>
\u201cFrank and I took the cake to the exercise class to have a little party and we then discovered that December 13 was a special day for Francois and Lena as well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2022 Janetta and Frank:<\/strong><\/p>\n Janetta was born in Winterfold in KwaZulu-Natal and then moved to Bergville where she attended school.<\/p>\n After school, she took up a position at External Affairs in Pretoria where she worked as a typist.<\/p>\n Frank was born in Malvern and moved to Germiston in 1956.<\/p>\n \u201cI stayed at the Alexander Hotel,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The couple met through Janetta\u2019s step-brother Lourens Oosthuizen and Frank\u2019s sister Gerty who were married.<\/p>\n \u201cI have known Janetta since she was 12 years old,\u201d Frank said.<\/p>\n Their acquaintance was renewed when Janetta went to visit her step-brother one night and Frank had come round to watch cricket.<\/p>\n \u201cSince that night we have been together,\u201d Frank said.<\/p>\n They married in the Dutch Reformed Church in Bergville and then set up home in Germiston.<\/p>\n They have stayed in their home in Solheim for the last 58 years.<\/p>\n The couple has three children, namely Frank, Ronel Strydom and Rudi, and five grandchildren.<\/p>\n Frank worked as a chief buyer for a company in Isando and worked there until his retirement.<\/p>\n Janetta became a stay-at-home mom when she had children.<\/p>\n Janetta loves to work in her garden and still does all her own housework.<\/p>\n They both played bowls, are members of Rest-a-While Service Centre for the Elderly and attend their Biotrim exercise class on Friday mornings.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are grateful to our gym instructor Des as she keeps us fit,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I could I would only do my gardening, but things in the house still need to get done,\u201d she joked.<\/p>\n Frank was always an avid sportsman and said he has tried pretty much every sport except motor racing.<\/p>\n \u201cYou need to enjoy life to the full as tomorrow may never come,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The couple believes that you need to work hard at your relationship and do things while you can.<\/p>\n Janetta was recently in hospital with a skin problem and after having a fall and she thanks the staff and doctors at Life Roseacres Hospital for the excellent treatment she received.<\/p>\n \u2022 Francois and Lena:<\/strong><\/p>\n The two are residents of the Witfield Retirement Village in Boksburg after moving there two years ago from their Germiston home.<\/p>\n Francois was born in Primrose and has spent his whole life in Germiston.<\/p>\n He attended President Junior High (now Ho\u00ebrskool Vryburger High School) and after school, he became a plumber.<\/p>\n He worked for the Germiston town council in the water department and in 1968 was promoted to drainage inspector.<\/p>\n \u201cI then went back to technical college and studied to become a building inspector,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI became a senior building inspector in Germiston and then took up a position at the Edenvale town council as chief building inspector where I worked until my retirement.\u201d<\/p>\n Lena was born in Bez Valley and grew up in Norton Small Farms.<\/p>\n She attended Laerskool Elandia and Afrikaanse Ho\u00ebrskool Germiston.<\/p>\n After school, Lena got a job as a switchboard operator and progressed through the company later doing the wages.<\/p>\n The pair were introduced to each other by Lena\u2019s father, Michael Kleynhans, as he worked with Francois.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the time he said he wasn\u2019t looking for a husband for me, but I think he lied,\u201d laughed Lena.<\/p>\n The couple dated for two years before getting married in the Dutch Reformed Church in Germiston.<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t plan to have children straight away but life happened,\u201d Lena said.<\/p>\n The couple has six children, namely, Louise van Tonder, Chris, Nico, Francois, Jacques and Riaan.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ALSO READ:<\/span><\/p>\n Vryburger celebrates diamond anniversary<\/a><\/p>\n Couple renews vows at 50th anniversary<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n They have 25 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are a happy family,\u201d said Francois.<\/p>\n When they were first married the couple lived in Tedstoneville.<\/p>\n They then built a house in Meadowbrook, then moved to Dawnview and then to Sunnyridge until they went to the retirement village.<\/p>\n To help make ends meet Lena (who gave up work to look after her children) used to bake and decorate cakes.<\/p>\n She did cake decorating lessons and then made cakes and gave lessons.<\/p>\n Over the years Lena has made about 1 000 wedding cakes for clients.<\/p>\n The couple played tennis for many years and Francois still plays snooker.<\/p>\n He is the captain of his snooker team at the retirement village as they play in a league against 10 other retirement homes.<\/p>\n The two were unanimous in their advice for young couples.<\/p>\n \u201cNever go to bed without solving your problems,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Have a story?<\/strong><\/p>\n Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor)\u00a0<\/span>germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za<\/a><\/strong>or Leigh Hodgson (News Editor)\u00a0<\/span>leighh@caxton.co.za<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>or\u00a0Kgotsofalang Mashilo (journalist)\u00a0kgotsofalangm@caxton.co.za<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Remember to visit the Germiston City News on the following social media platforms:<\/p>\n Facebook<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Twitter<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Instagram<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n YouTube\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Or add the GCN on\u00a0<\/b><\/span>WhatsApp 079 406 1181<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>or\u00a0BBM (BBM Pin: 7F102137)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>today, to get all the latest news.<\/p>\n Catch-up on more local news with our sister newspapers\u00a0<\/span>Bedfordview Edenvale News<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0<\/span>Alberton Record<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>Kempton 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