Diamond anniversary celebrated by the Steins

By Djembe Archibald

Mar 29, 2023

Til death do us part: The Steins are celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary. Photo by Megan Fisher

A Sunday in March 1962 was the fateful day Lorraine and Peter Stein met — and now they are celebrating 60 years of marriage.

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Mr Stein was in Bendigo at the time for the fire brigade championships, where he started chatting to “this young lady, and that’s where it all started”.

“I asked her if she’d like a ride home and she did, then I asked her if she wanted to go to dinner and she did,” he said.

Still going strong: Peter and Lorraine Stein. Photo by Megan Fisher

Mr Stein worked in Geelong at the time and being a Sunday night, he was expected at work the next day.

“I didn’t get back to Geelong until 3am,” he said with a smile.

Here comes the bride: Lorraine and Peter’s wedding day on March 30, 1963. Photo by Megan Fisher

A year later, the couple was married in St Kilian’s Church in Bendigo by a priest who later became a bishop.

“So we were technically married by a bishop,” Mr Stein said while chuckling heartily with his wife.

Their 60 years together have had their ups and downs but their secret is to have faith, not only in each other but in a shared religion.

“Appreciate the other person and understand that you won’t always get your way and that’s okay,” Mr Stein said.

“We are practising Catholics, and I think that helps.”

They also value support, even if it falters from time to time.

“He supports me. I’ve just had five weeks of radiation treatment in Melbourne,” Mrs Stein said.

“He was beside me the whole time.”

“Lorraine is always very supportive, she was always there for me, apart from when the kids were young and she’d leave for netball at 8.30am,” Mr Stein said with a laugh.

Sixty years together is certainly cause for celebration, and the Steins have already begun the festivities.

On Saturday, March 25, they had a mass at St Brendan’s in Shepparton, and then headed to the RSL for lunch with friends.

This week, they are headed to Rutherglen to catch up with a priest who is a good friend and who held a special mass for the Steins on their anniversary.