A Bundaberg couple who have been married for 66 years have shown that love knows no bounds.
Every day for the past five years, Noel Jamieson (88) has visited Gloria (84) at Meilene Residential Aged Care Home in Bundaberg.
Gloria has dementia. To visit her, Noel rides his motorised scooter four minutes from his home every day to see the love of his life.
Each day he packs her favourite food in an esky and arrives just before lunch time.
Their story began more than seven decades ago when Noel was working for Gloria's aunt and uncle in Cunnamulla.
“The day after she arrived, I was at the local rugby league ground and I saw her on the tennis courts, which were beside it,” Noel said.
“So, I introduced myself and asked her to go out to the movies with me, which she accepted and the rest they say is history.”
The pair married in Brisbane before heading out to the bush, where Noel worked at the railway.
As their love grew, so too did their family and they had six children, including twin boys.
Noel recalled that although times were tougher and they had no electricity, appliances or help from friends, they always had each other.
“She stuck with me all the way through it and I know it was tough,” he said.
“Our beautiful kids are a credit to her.”
After holidaying in Bundaberg and falling in love with the region, the couple relocated with all but one family member following.
Noel said that every time he rides through the gate to see Gloria it was like seeing her for the first time.
“It’s only four minutes from home and I have a scooter, and that’s all it does; it doesn’t go anywhere else from here to home, once a day,” he said.
“She means everything to me.”
Staff members at Meilene play songs by Gloria’s favourite musician Vera Lynn every morning, so she can sing along while she waits for Noel to arrive.
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