Dell and Don celebrate 65 years of love and family

The lovely couple celebrated their 65^th wedding anniversary on Wednesday, February 14, but don't think Valentine's Day had anything to do with it.

They will be quick to tell you that Valentine's Day wasn't on their radar, or anyone in Australia's radar for that matter, back in 1959.

Dell, 83, and Don, 86, first met when she was 17 and he was 19. Both the children of dairy farmers, Don's family farm at Brisbane Fields below Morpeth was prone to being flooded, but Dell's family farm at East Maitland was safe behind the flood walls.

Dell's father generously offered to keep Don's family's cattle on his land, so one day in 1956 Don got on his horse and drove the cattle from Morpeth to East Maitland.

"I managed our cows with his cows for three months, and that's where I met Dell," Don said.

One day, Dell, who was a nurse at Maitland Hospital, came home and told her father she'd love to go to the Johnny Ray concert in Newcastle.

"He was a bigger star in those days than Taylor Swift is today," Don said.

Don put his hand up to take her, and the rest is history.

The pair were married on a scorching hot 43 degree day at East Maitland Methodist Church.

Such a hot day had some guests desperate for a cold beer, but Methodist weddings were alcohol-free.

"We had a wedding with no alcohol, could you imagine that today," Dell said.

"Methodists didn't dance, and they didn't drink beer," Don said.

The young couple enjoyed going to the pictures together, and before long they had three children; Peter (1959), Debbie (1960) and Gavin (1963).

Now, their family has grown and grown, with 10 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren keeping them busy.

After some time living in Maitland, the Cruickshanks raised their family on a farm in Denman where they lived for 30 years, and 25 years ago moved to their current home in Greta.

"I think it's amazing how she looks after me, I'm a very lucky man," Don said about Dell.

"She's been a wonderful mother to the kids, and I'm probably one of the worst blokes ever to live with and she's got a lot to put up with.

"People say 'how are you going', and I say we're hanging in there, whatever we do we're happy, we're eating well and we're happy. What more is there."

Dell said she loves Don very much. "He's always there for me and we always get along pretty well, he's not a bad old stick," she said.