A Silvertown couple have proven to all those who had little faith in their relationship that their love is everlasting, as they will be celebrating their 61st wedding anniversary on Monday December 26.
Carl, 79, and Hazel Cupido, 78, got married at a young age, and they say few thought their marriage would last, but despite facing some big challenges over the years, their love has endured and grown stronger.
The couple grew up as neighbours in Calendula Road, Silvertown. Hazel was 16 and Carl was 17 when they started their relationship, and they were married 11 months later.
Hazel jokes that Carl didn’t have to spend bus fare to visit her.
“Ons het gevry net oor die fence,” she laughs.
Asked who caught the other’s eyes first, Hazel, the more outspoken one in this relationship, says, “We both had our eyes on each other, but he didn’t approach me because he thought he didn’t stand a chance. In his eyes, I was too beautiful to be with someone like him.”
Over the years, the couple faced many losses, but Hazel says God has been gracious to them. Early in their marriage, she had four miscarriages before giving birth to their daughter, Ruth, and then their son, Carl, who died of colon cancer 16 years ago, at the age of 37.
Hazel is a cancer survivor, but she still managed to care for her son and her parents until they died.
“God gave me the strength to care for my father for more than 20 years. He passed on when he was in his 90s. Now the Lord is helping me to care for my husband. We were involved in three car accidents over two months, and with the last accident, the car was a write-off. This left Carl with permanent back problems, so I have to assist him.”
Shortly after they were married, the couple moved to Surrey Estate, where they lived in a shack, before moving to a flat in Manenberg, where they lived for 10 years.
“We lived on the top floor and when Carl junior came from school, I had to carry him up all those flights of stairs, as he was born with cerebral palsy. Through God’s grace, his doctor wrote a letter to the municipality, and we moved to this one-bedroomed house in Silvertown. My husband was a hard worker and because of his efforts, we could extend the house to what it is today.”
Carl says his wife is still the most beautiful woman ever.
“My advice to young couples is that arguments will come but you must never go to bed without resolving the matter. I fell in love with Hazel’s looks, and today she is still so beautiful. My love for her grew even stronger over the years,” he says.
Hazel adds, “If you want your marriage to be a success, build it on Christ. God has been good to us.”
Their daughter, Ruth Cupido, 57, says she is very proud of her parents.
“They have set such a good example for us. I thank the Lord for the way they brought Carl and me up. My brother and I were very close. Mom has always been our anchor in the family. And although they don’t have any grandchildren, they have helped to raise our neighbour’s children, and that brought them so much joy.”
