Last Saturday, Christiane and Robert Van Rijn celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary in the municipality of Béthune. To renew their agreement with beauty and love, Robert insists on wearing his new wedding tuxedo for the third time.
Reading time:
3 min
Christiane Verhecke was born on July 22, 1938 in Béthune and Robert Van Rijn on December 22, 1940 in Ultrecht (Netherlands) grew up in families where the mother was at home and the father was a train mechanic.
From the age of 14, Christiane worked as a clothing mechanic at Pigeon Voyageur in Béthune, a company specializing in work clothes. After being appointed to the design office, he left the company the year of his wedding in 1962.
“Mom is doing the laundry”
After high school, Robert joined the college for the clothing industry in Amsterdam: ” In 1960 I approached Pigeon Voyageur for a 6-month internship in a company… and I was accepted! » Why Bethune? : ” I have been attracted to your country since my French lessons at school and a Dutchman already works in the company… The meeting between Christiane and Robert took place in the design office of the company. He helped him join the town: He always comes to eat at home and Mom does the laundry. We always take care of each other. »
After the internship, Robert returned to the Netherlands to finish his studies and Christiane found him during vacation. On July 21, 1962, they joined the town hall in Béthune and Robert chose a career in France: ” I worked successively in sportswear in Annœullin and in a luxury shirt factory in Alsace before I was appointed technical director at the age of 29 at Le Pigeon Voyageur in 1968. Throughout this period, the family grew with the arrival of Pascale in 1963, Yves in 1965 and Hervé in 1968.
Volunteering
1980 was an important year: “ I left Pigeon Voyageur to create with Christiane our company, the Nœuxoise confection. When it closed in 1989, Christiane returned to quality control for our former clients, and I as a sales representative for a Boston-based company before becoming self-employed until our retirement in 2009. »
Since then, helping has remained the leitmotif of a wealthy couple with six grandchildren and soon three great-grandchildren. In 2008, Robert joined Charitables de Béthune. Responsible with Christine in their cloakroom, he has been in charge of food parcels since 2012. The two are also involved in the palliative care reception in Bruay-La-Buissière, receiving families before visiting the rooms in Béthune prison, support for Dutch prisoners in the region, help with funerals in Saint-Vaast and Perroy, etc.
Also read
Gauchin-Legal: a fire kills 700 piglets on a farm in Chaussée Brunehaut
Thanks to its town hall, Calonne-Ricouart gives itself “the air of a real city”
Béthunois-Bruaysis: Do you have a project? Apply to integrate the second Rev3 accelerator
Continue reading this topic(s):
Domestic violence
More and more divorce orders are being ignored. More and more fathers or mothers… Read more