Today is Mom & Dad's 60th wedding anniversary. We took Mom and Dad out to their favorite restaurant to eat: Frank & Mary's in Pittsboro, IN.. We had big parties on their 25th, 35th, 40th, and 50th anniversaries. Since Dad was just shy of 30 when he got married, he usually gets gypped of a celebration for his big birthdays; they fall on the same years. We decided to keep the anniversary celebration small this year, and whoop it up later for Dad's 90th birthday in November. Dad's always ready for a party.
Dad reminisced a bit about their wedding day. It was a hot August day. My Mom's dad Steve Maloney gave them a pregnant cow for a wedding gift. The cow had twins. Grandpa Steve attended the wedding sitting in the back of the church. He did not walk Mom down the aisle. That wasn't a snub. He didn't attend the other siblings' weddings at all. Mom must have been his favorite. Mom wore a brown dress. Old Steve sprung for a keg and had a party back at Mom's home place after the wedding. My cousin Albert remembered the wedding but said the shivaree a few weeks later was a real blow-out party. They went through 38 cases of beer, and many revelers spent the night.
Mom has had a good time reading all the greeting cards they've been receiving in the mail this week. I think they had a pretty good, low-key, sixtieth anniversary.
Here's the announcement that we put in the local newspapers:
John and Beatrice "Bird" (Maloney) Wiley of Lebanon, Indiana will be celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary on August 23, 2007. They were married August 23, 1947 at St. Malachy Catholic Church in Brownsburg, Indiana. Bird taught at Clermont and Brown Township Schools prior to marriage. John is a retired farmer and served in World War II with the 487th Bomb Group in the Army Air Corps. They are members of St. Joseph Catholic church in Lebanon, Indiana. John & Bird are the parents of six children. They have eleven grandchildren and three great-granddaughters.
Happy 60th Anniversary, Mom & Dad...and many more!!!
Congrats to your mom and dad!
No kegger this year? ;)
Posted by: Hammer | August 23, 2007 at 10:24 PM
Oh my goodness! Happy anniversary to them....what an awesome milestone. A lifetime of love right there.
Posted by: Erica | August 24, 2007 at 04:41 AM
Jerry
Great tribute to your parents.
Our congratulations to both of them!
Ralph
Posted by: Ralph | August 24, 2007 at 09:25 AM
Awww. What a cute couple. Happy Anniversary to John and Beatrice!
Posted by: Freddie | August 24, 2007 at 10:03 AM
Congrats to your mom and dad. My parents celebrated their 40th. :)
Posted by: Teresa | August 24, 2007 at 10:08 AM
Jerry,
Congrats from Here!
My folks celebrated their 50th this past June.
Posted by: King Tiger | August 24, 2007 at 02:16 PM
... congratulations to them both.... that accomplishment is absolutely amazing.... I wish them many, many more...
Posted by: Eric | August 24, 2007 at 05:48 PM
Congrats to the newlyweds. Awww..well on their way to together forever. Couldn't you get your name in that announcement somehow??
Posted by: cliff | August 24, 2007 at 06:57 PM
Now I think you look like your Dad!
My neighbor has a couple that are friends of his, and their names are John and Bird too!
It's so wonderful to have your parents with you still. How come it says that your Dad is retired?? We know he still works on the farm!!
Wonderful tribute Jerry!!
Posted by: Rachel | August 24, 2007 at 07:02 PM
wow how cool wonder if I will still be alive to do that one! have a good weekend.
Posted by: Just a mom | August 24, 2007 at 11:42 PM
60 years of marriage is REALLY something to celebrate!!
WOW!
A pregnant cow - LOVE it!!!!
Posted by: Jamie Dawn | August 26, 2007 at 09:54 PM