Community & Business
6 May, 2025
In sickness and in health
Oakey’s Beryl and Mervyn Krause have survived 66 years as a married couple despite near-death experiences for both.
The marriage was almost cut short when brain cancer threatened Mervyn’s life in the 1970s.
Well known Oakey GP Dr EAF McDonald could not treat him and a trip to the Toowoomba Hospital proved fruitless.
Merv was released from Toowoomba Hospital as “he wanted to die at home”.
A chance conversation with friends, the Ballingers from Wutul, led to a meeting with a man from Kilkivan, who claimed to have a cure for cancer.
He recommended Merv drink an elixir of lucerne, comfrey, dandelion, marshmallow, unsweetened pineapple juice and a mystery ingredient (which the couple suspects was arsenic). Merv felt better soon after and within three months was cured.
Following Merv’s recovery, Dr McDonald recommended the pair leave the farm and move (“but not to Toowoomba”).
“Dr Mac promised that he would be our doctor, but he died soon after,” Beryl said.
The Krauses were born within a fortnight of each other, Beryl on 7th February and Mervyn on 20th February in 1937.
Beryl grew up at Mount Darry and was educated in Kulpi, while Merv hailed from Quinalow.
A meeting at a dance at the old Oakey RSL Hall led to a blossoming relationship.
Beryl gave up her job as a domestic at Oakey Hospital and married Merv on April 4th, 1959 at St. John’s Lutheran Church at Kulpi.
The newly wedded couple moved to the Krause dairy farm at Quinalow.
Along came two children, Janette in 1962,and Ross in 1966, who were both educated at Quinalow.
Moving to Oakey in the late 1970s, Merv worked at Connolly Motors (at the current Wolski Glass location), driving the local school bus before retiring in the “noughties”.
According to the couple, keys to their relationship have been “Working together” and “Having a barney and getting over it.”
Prior to recent ill-health, Beryl enjoyed sewing and knitting, and was part of ‘Busiko’s Guardian Angels’, knitting woolies for children in need, and the couple enjoy gardening together.
Beryl and Merv did not celebrate their 65th anniversary last year due to ill-health.
The couple have five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
