Domestic Goddess Married 74 Years...

and still going strong! A story from the Heraldsun.com.au Eleni Hale February 10, 2008 12:00am WHEN Clarrie Armstrong was 20 he made his girlfriend a promise. "You're the first girl I've been with and you'll be my last," he said. He kept his word and, 74 years after they met, Grace and Clarrie Armstrong are one of Victoria's longest-married couples. Next month the happy couple will celebrate their 68th wedding anniversary. "I love her so very much and have never considered anyone else," 94-year-old Mr Armstrong said. "It's been a happy experience being married." But the proposal had to be prompted by a stranger. An elderly woman from church invited the then 18- and 22-year-olds to dinner and mistook them for a married couple. "She said, 'So I take it this is Mrs Armstrong?' and that gave me an idea," he said. A smitten Mr Armstrong proposed in the car on the way home and the rest is history. The former architect said that, though life had been rocky, they had faced each obstacle together. Mrs Armstrong, 90, a self-confessed domestic goddess, admitted to being old fashioned when it came to a woman's role. "He was the money-maker and I was in charge of the home," she said. Five children in 10 years kept her busy, but she said taking the time to talk things out with her husband was the secret to maintaining a happy relationship. And a warning to all those who believe in love at first sight. "Get to know each other well first," Mr Armstrong warned.