It had been an on-and-off marriage since summer 2003, but despite complaints of abuse, Ingeborg Jandura of Canada remained with her husband of 58 years until she was killed Sunday during their annual vacation in Hawai'i.

Jandura, who celebrated her 82nd birthday Feb. 19, died of stab wounds to the neck, lungs and heart in their time-share apartment at the Ilikai Waikiki Hotel.

Her husband, Tadeusz Zygmunt "Ted" Jandura, 83, of Edmonton, Alberta, is charged with second-degree murder. He is being held on $1 million bail. Honolulu prosecutors are expected to seek conviction as a "heinous" crime, for which the sentence is life in prison without possibility of parole.

Ted Jandura, a retired millwright, is the oldest person in memory to be charged with murder here. He and his wife arrived here Dec. 21 for their annual three-month stay, police said.

In Canadian court records, Ingeborg Jandura had described a marriage on the verge of collapse.

She sought a divorce after separating from her husband in summer 2003, according to documents filed in the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta, Judicial District of Edmonton.

She described her husband in court documents as "verbally abusive throughout the course of the marriage and impossible to live with." She added, "But we had been together for about 57 years and accordingly we have attempted to make our marriage work as well as possible in all of the circumstances."

The parties agreed in June 2005 to "try and put our (divorce) matters at peace."

Under the agreement, Ted Jandura moved back into the house with a set of rules governing behavior, financial contributions, purchases and revenues from the couple's rental properties in Edmonton.

But following a trip together to Europe in summer 2005, Ingeborg Jandura stated in court documents: "It became obvious to me that his behavior had not changed and when we arrived home, it simply worsened."

Ingeborg Jandura said her husband accused her constantly of "running around with other men" and stalked her when she went for appointments at the hairdresser, doctor, bank, lawyer's office and visits with friends.

When her husband got angry, "he insists on screaming at me with abusive language, during which he refers to me frequently as a 'German whore,' " she said in a court document. Ted Jandura would calm down and apologize, but his temper would flare again, she said.

Ingeborg Jandura said on Aug. 11, 2004, her husband tried to push her down the stairs. Police were called, but no case was made because she had no bruises.

Nanci Kreidman, executive director of the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse in Honolulu, said it is not unusual that Ingeborg Jandura remained with her husband.

"Is it surprising for a person 82 to say, 'Better to keep trying'? No," Kreidman said. "If she were 25 or 45, you have another 40 years to put the pieces back. How hard is it to be married to someone for 58 years and not succumb to his promises and apologies?

"You don't walk out on a 58-year marriage easily, and particularly when you don't have a picture (of what's ahead). You're 82, what do you see?"

According to court documents, Ingeborg Jandura was born in Bad Pyrmont, Germany, and her husband in Suchodalka, Poland. They were married July 19, 1948, in Germany. The couple have a daughter, son and grandson.

Ted Jandura is being held at the O'ahu Community Correctional Center pending a preliminary hearing tomorrow in District Court.

Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.