Address of Elman Guttormson, M.L.A., St. George, on the
Occasion of the Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary of Mr. & Mrs. O. Hallson, of
Eriksdale, Man. ....................
Whoever selected the word "Gold" to symbolize half
a century of marriage must surely have been thinking of couples like Mr. &
Mrs. Hallson. Gold represents that
mellow sort of richness that comes from a full life. In the wedding anniversary we are commemorating tonight, that
richness is absolute. Mr. & Mrs.
Hallson are rich -- very rich -- in friends, their intellectual life, as we all
know, had indeed been rich, with knowledge tempered by wisdom. Their fifty years together have developed
that deep richness that only a good married life -- with all its ingredients of
hope, sorrow, love, hard work, respect, co-operation and truthfulness -- can
bring.
Cynics have described our age as one of rank materialism,
where all the noble instincts , the desire for beauty and truth, peace of mind
and companionship of loved ones and true friends are debased in a greedy
scramble for monetary wealth and power and where even the home is in part
neglected, or of secondary consideration in this scramble.
Thank God we have people who throw that lie into the teeth
of the cynics. We are commemorating
this anniversary, not because these two have been married for 50 calendar years
-- that merely is a span of time. We
are here to affirm our belief in the sanctity and fullness of marriage and of
the home. We are here to recognize the
rich contributions of this couple. In
calendar years, much has happened since these two took their vows. They came to this country from Iceland in
1910 -- three years after their marriage to make a good home, that would be a
credit to their children and community.
When they first came here, Manitoba had a population of but
300,000. The other two prairie
provinces were just in their infancy.
Man had just conquered the air; automobiles were few and the horse and
buggy provided the principal means of transportation.
Since those days there has been considerable ammunition for
the cynic. Two major wars, eras of
intense economic and military unrest, the introduction of the jet and atomic
ages, have left the world somewhat bewildered.
This unrest has swept down to the hearts of our people, leaving homes
anxious or unsettled. But throughout
all this, we have couples like Mr. & Mrs. Hallson, representing the very
strength of home and community , showing that friendship for friendship's sake,
living the good life which brings with it is own rich rewards and quiet
recognition.
Honors mean nothing if you haven't the love and respect of
your neighbours, for despite the mechanical gadgets that draw the world closer
together, we are still home folk -- community folk.