Valentine’s Day extra special for Port Elgin couple

When it comes to Valentine’s Day, February 14th, Harry and Velma (nee Kienzle) Allin of Port Elgin have three reasons to celebrate.
Not only is February 14th Velma’s birthday, it is also a milestone 60th anniversary for the couple today (2022) and, of course, it’s Valentine’s Day.
Harry, who lived in Ostrander, a small community near Tillsonburg (ON), was a bookkeeper and Velma attended school in Ingersoll before moving to Tillsonburg.  The two worked at the local Post Office and Velma laughingly says, “We played post office for years!”
Velma’s ancestors came to Canada from Germany in 1861 and Harry’s came from England, and both families eventually moved to Tillsonburg.
It was on Valentine’s Day, 1962 that the couple married and 60 years later they are still celebrating.  “I was told on my wedding day that Harry’s grandparents and my grandparents had been neighbours and, in fact, they had probably attended the same school.  Harry and I lived only seven kilometers apart and we never met.  Germany and England came together”
      Velma and Harry Allin – February 14, 1962
In 1970, the Allin(s) moved from Tillsonburg to Port Elgin, where they both worked at the Port Elgin Post Office.  Harry was the last official Post Master until Canada Post did a re-organization and began phasing out the long-standing position in many small rural towns.  Harry helped in the reorganization by setting up the neighbourhood mailboxes and post office outlets in retail outlets, such as drug stores, in both Port Elgin and Kincardine until his retirement.
                  Celebrating 60 years later
The couple raised their three children, David, Kevin and their sister Chris in Port Elgin.  David, now a retired OPP officer lives in Englehart (ON) with his family while Kevin, a Waterloo University graduate, returned to Port Elgin to work with Bruce Power.  Sister Chris (Swain) is well-known in the community as owner of the popular ‘Keepsakes and Memories’ in Port Elgin, a busy spot especially on Valentine’s Day.
“With a daughter who owns a flower shop,” laughs Velma, “there is no way Harry can forget the day!”  The couple helps their daughter out with flower deliveries, especially on the two busiest days of the year, Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day.  “We love to help and it gets us out and keep active.”
With six grandchildren and two great grandchildren, the Allin(s) say their secret to a long marriage is love.
“We not only love our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren but … we love each other.”