When a 15-year-old Carmen first agreed to go out with a 15-yearold Vince Fenech back in her village in Malta it was with the intention of making another boy she liked jealous.
Luckily for Vince, their three children, seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, Carmen quickly forgot about her original plan, fell in love with Vince and the two were married in Malta in 1962.
Only a few months after tying the knot, the young couple said farewell to their very large families, Carmen is one of 13 children and Vince is one of 10, and bravely set sail to start a new life in Australia.
While Carmen said the first Christmas away from their family in Malta was tough and she struggled with the language, the two never regretted their decision to move to Australia. They settled in Sydney and soon had their first baby.
Fortunately Carmen didn’t have to endure another lonely Christmas, over the next few years almost all of her family followed her to Australia with only one sister remaining in Malta.
Today the Fenech’s home in Worrigee is testament to their love and 60 years of marriage with framed photos of their family covering the walls and their own wedding portrait taking pride of place.
For the couple who are now 82-years-old, their home is a sanctuary and it is important for them to stay living there together for as long as they can.
Carmen likes being independent and she manages cooking, washing, ironing and dusting but having a Home Care Package with BCR Communities means they can get support for those bigger jobs like cleaning the bathroom, mopping floors and changing beds.
Without a driver’s license, the couple also use their Home Care Package for getting to appointments and for shopping for groceries.
So what’s the secret to 60 happy years of marriage? According to Carmen it’s coffee!
“If we do ever argue, he will go into the garage and then after a little while, I will make him a coffee and then we start talking again,” Carmen said.