The Holschiers’ 70-year roller coaster of marriage

Well, one fateful meet-cute at Luna Park saw Bob and Floss Holschier feel all of that and more.

After an unconventional first encounter 70 years ago, Bob and Floss Holschier are commemorating their platinum wedding anniversary on Wednesday, March 12.

They met on a sunny October day in 1951 in a trip to a newly reopened Luna Park after the Caulfield Cup, and Floss was dating Bob’s friend.

Floss’ then boyfriend was riding on the high of a big win at the races that day, and according to Bob, he wasn’t paying her nearly enough attention.

Luckily for her, somebody else was.

Bob said he couldn’t take his eyes off Floss throughout the entire journey home, strategically arranging to drop her off last among his friends, savouring the opportunity for a brief, private moment together.

And, while it wasn’t meant to be for Floss and her Luna Park date — it was instant attraction for Bob and Floss — sparking a 70-year marriage filled with deep love, unforeseen challenges and unwavering togetherness.

Much like the day they met, it was a sunny morning of March 12, 1955, when they got married at St John’s Anglican Church in Bentleigh.

“It was a mud brick,” Floss said about the church.

“We didn’t know any places around there to get married, but Bob found a reception centre and this little church was opposite it — we got married there.

“I think it got demolished the very next year.”

Bob said he had a hard time repeating after the minister during the ceremony.

“He was a Welsh bloke … so when I got up to, you know, repeat after him, we got about halfway and I lost him,” he said.

“I said to him, ‘What did you say?’ and I heard giggles everywhere.”

When Bob finally got the words right, and slipped out the words “I do”, they celebrated with a reception at the venue just across the street before jetting off to Adelaide for their honeymoon.

Except it wasn’t all fun and games for their first getaway as a married couple.

“I had sent a deposit by cheque for the hotel (before the honeymoon) when I made the booking,” Bob said.

“Everything went all right until we were knocking off going home.

“I went to pay the balance in a cheque, and the girl said, ‘We don’t take cheques.’ Well, who did I give the first cheque to?”

They had to pay with the only cash they had — a £20 note that was meant to get them enough petrol to get back to Victoria.

Bob had to barter his watch for petrol that day.

After the honeymoon incident, they moved in to their new home — which they had begun building when they were engaged — and started their new life as a family unit.

In July 1956, the pair welcomed their first child, John.

Two more followed in succession, with Debbie 15 months later and Greg two years after that.

They welcomed Russell in 1966 after they had moved to Stanhope to be closer to Floss’ parents, who owned a farm at Kyabram.

They bought a 41-acre farm at Stanhope and have been happily tied to the area ever since — raising their children and beginning a business in the town.

However, the roller coaster of their lives hasn’t been without a few massive bumps on the track.

In a visit to see her parents in Stanhope, their daughter Debbie suddenly died after an epileptic seizure in 1980, and shortly later, their son Greg died of a cardiac arrest while backpacking across Europe.

Bob said their children’s deaths created an irreparable void in their once-joyful family life.

“You can lose your parents, you can lose your sister and brother and everything,” Bob said.

“But to lose a child, and to lose two at that...”

“It was devastating, and we’re still not over it — I don’t think we ever will be,” Floss said.

Over the past seven decades, Bob and Floss have weathered countless changes — both delightful and devastating — but have always maintained the same level of enduring love for one another.

They have two grandchildren, Sean and Adrian, who are now grown, and they still get visits from sons Russell and John.

“Everything’s changed in the past 70 years, especially me. Up until five or six years ago, I was reasonably fit as far as my back is concerned,” Bob said.

And while his back isn’t as strong as it was all those years ago, Bob’s love for Floss has never weakened.

“For long-term marriage, you’ve got to have three things. One is patience, now there’s tolerance and now there’s respect to love,” he said.

In his biography, Bob describes meeting and marrying Floss as “the best thing that happened” to him.

To celebrate 70 years of marriage, the pair will be surrounded by their friends and family at a celebration at The Wallenjoe Hotel in Stanhope.

On behalf of the Free Press, congratulations, Bob and Floss, on 70 years together.