When you’ve been married for 70 years there really isn’t a secret so much as a plain answer.

It’s in the laughter and their smiling exchanges.

Gravenhurst residents Gordon, 90, and Margaret Knifton, 87, think their anniversary isn’t deserving of a giant fuss.

When they walked through ankle-high snowdrifts to get married on a cold, blustery winter Valentine’s Day in Toronto at the St. Chad’s Anglican Church in 1938, they never thought much of the day except that the pastor was available.

“We just gave our two bucks and he married us,” he said. “It’s so far back. It’s amazing it’s in my head.”

Although the ceremony was small and brief with only a pair of neighbours in tow, the marriage has been long and deep, surviving through the Depression and the last “great war” to stand as a testament to the epitome of longevity.

Before even meeting Margaret, Gordon went to sea for work on a “cattle boat” during the Depression. He and other ship workers were responsible for dealing with the cattle when they died. After returning from this globetrotting experience, that included a stint as a deckhand, he returned to Toronto and married Margaret before joining the army to fight in Europe and North Africa during the Second World War.

He fought with the armoured corps in Italy, Belgium and North Africa, doing everything in a tank from aiming the turret to the driving. Despite military censorship, he wrote Margaret letters about his experiences.

The couple first met as teenagers as a result of her brother Fred Wright who was showing off his collection of ham radio equipment to Gordon.

“I don’t know, he just dragged me up the street one day to show off his stuff to me. I never met her in my life until that day,” Gordon said. “It’s his bloody fault.”

Margaret chimes in and said, “He just happened to come up to the house all the time. We got kind of used to him.”

They shared a love of horseback riding, paying 25 cents a ride, and spent time skating together.

In 1982 when Gordon retired, the couple moved permanently to Muskoka after spending summers at Margaret’s parents’ property. They have resided in Gravenhurst ever since.

Margaret lived in the area at her grandparents’ 100-acre property from when she was born until she was six years old. She eventually moved to Toronto to receive her schooling and to live with her parents. That’s where she inevitably met Gordon.

The couple had two sons and a daughter (who passed away). They have six grandchildren.

Youngest son Ron Knifton, who now ensures their well-being and helps around the 14-acre property, said the relationship is not unusual, having had its share of ups and downs.

“They were always together through the good times and bad times,” he said. “They acted as a team . . . with them it was a genuine respect.”