"Writing on the wall" says it all
A CHANCE meeting through friends became a partnership that has stood the test of time for an Ipswich couple.
Kenneth and Elaine Beutel, originally from Kingaroy, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary at the weekend.
Mr Beutel recalled the outings where he met his wife.
"We were out in the country, there wasn't much entertainment around there so we got together in different people's homes to sing songs," he said.
"There were tennis matches and the like and I got to know her. She was nursing at the time in Kingaroy."
The pair married in the Nanango Baptist Church on December 17, 1952 and Mr Beutel had a trucking business in Kingaroy but saw the 'writing on the wall'.
They had four children before moving to Ipswich 14 years later.
The family settled in Eastern Heights.
Our children were growing up so I came to Ipswich looking for work. There was an oil depot in Bundamba and I drove a fuel truck out there for nine years.
In 1991 the Beutels and his wife's sister and husband travelled to Hong Kong for a memorable holiday, before retiring in 1992.
They celebrated the wedding anniversary and Mrs Beutel's 80th birthday with 55 family and friends.
