It was August 3, 1973, when they tied the knot, but it was hardly a well-planned and traditional wedding.
In fact, the marriage of the adventurous pair took place in a small town in the northern region of Germany amid the threat of deportation for the bride and a series of border-hopping trips into neighbouring countries.
Kyabram Club, the scene for Jenny and Wilf Reuther’s 50th anniversary, was a long way from the German village of Warendorf where they completed their nuptials amid the threat of Jenny being forced to return to Australia.
Wilf, who was born in Germany and (at the time) spoke the language, experienced few complications when the pair decided to spend some time living in Germany.
Jenny, however, hadn’t been as prepared and faced some serious challenges while the couple lived and worked in Munich.
“I’d always wanted to experience life in Germany and we planned to live there for a period. I had organised all my paperwork, visas and the like, but Jenny had not,” Wilf explained.
After arriving in Germany on a tourist visa Jenny faced deportation and the couple sought refuge in the home town of Wilf’s parents — in the north-west of Germany near the Dutch border.
"A family friend, with connections to immigration, told us to travel up to Warendorf and get married.
“We ended up spending three years there,” Wilf said.
Warendorf, best known today for its well-preserved medieval town centre, horse riding and cycling, was home base as the couple welcomed son Christian into the world.
Not before, however, Jenny sought refuge for a time in Austria, then Switzerland and made her way back into the country on a train, managing to avoid government officials and settle back into life in her adopted German village.
While Wilf was born in Germany, Jenny was raised in Kyabram, the daughter of Lionel and Florrie Chandler and sister to Bill and Peter.
Not one for the limelight, son Christian was forced to plan a clandestine celebration and surprise his mother by organising friends and family to gather at the Kyabram Club for the celebration.
He came back to Australia with his family in 1976 and not long after the family moved on to the dairy farm on McKenzie Rd at Tongala — owned by Jenny’s parents.
While Wilf worked on the farm, Jenny expanded her involvement in a variety of organisations, though never seeking recognition or reward.
“Mum spent a lot of time involved in the UDV and VFF. She was also named the 2019 citizen of the year for Campaspe,” Christian said.
The family also had to make that a surprise to ensure her attendance at the event.
“One of her friends convinced her to go along to the event, telling her they were supporting another person,” Christian said.
Jenny worked at the Kyabram hospital and Nestle, while Wilf was a tanker driver before the couple bought own farm in 1989, spending more than 20 years in the dairy industry.
The family has been long-time members of the Baptist Church, while Jenny has a 10-year history as a volunteer with St Vincent’s (as a counsellor).
“She has always preferred to be in the background and is not one to take the credit. It is quite difficult to get her to events where she is being recognised,” Wilf said.
Members of the Chandler family from Yackandandah were at the event, along with friends from Melbourne where Wilf grew up after arriving in Australia as a five year old.
He said the whole German deportation experience of his long-time wife had left him with a lot of sympathy for immigrants and asylum seekers.
“I’ve been one three times (immigrant) — coming from Germany to start primary school in Australia, then returning to Germany for a time to live and then coming back to Australia.
“When I arrived in Australia migrants pouring into Australia. I remember they called me the little kangaroo and when I eventually got back to Australia after living in Germany everyone thought I was a ‘pom’ because of the mix of accents,” he said.
While shunning the attention, one embroiled in story telling and the celebrations of the 50th wedding anniversary Jenny was quite comfortable in being the toast of the family — alongside her long-time husband.
