Time passes so quickly and today I am thinking about how quickly the past fifty years have gone.
Today, November 3, 2023, is a special day for Joe and me. Today is our wedding anniversary.
But it is not just any anniversary. It is our 50th anniversary. Our Golden Wedding Anniversary.
J & K 50th Anniversary, 3 Nov 2023
Fifty years ago today I married my best friend and the love of my life. We were destined to spend our lives together.
J & K Wedding, 3 Nov 1973
We were married at 6:30 p.m. in a candlelight ceremony at Zion Lutheran, Chatt, officiated by Rev. Ralph Hershberger. It was a beautiful fall day, sunny and not cold, much like today’s weather.
J & K Wedding, 3 Nov 1973
Here are a few more photos from our wedding day.
J & K Wedding, 3 Nov 1973
J & K Wedding, 3 Nov 1973
J & K Wedding, 3 Nov 1973
J & K Wedding, 3 Nov 1973
Herb & Florence Miller, Karen & Joe, Louise Bennett, 3 Nov 1973
Cornelius & Hilda Schumm, Karen & Joe, Helen Roesner, 3 Nov 1973
Wedding gown styles were certainly different 50 years ago. Wedding dresses in the 70s were much more modest than they are today. My dress came from the bridal department of Goldstein Department Store in Celina. Harriet Chodash headed their bridal department and dressed many area brides over the years.
Golden Anniversaries are not uncommon in my family. My parents celebrated their Golden Anniversary in 2000 and went on to celebrate eleven more anniversaries. My Miller grandparents (Carl & Gertrude) celebrated 50 years of marriage in in 1969 and my Schumm grandparents (Cornelius and Hilda) celebrated their 50th in 1977.
We celebrated our Golden Anniversary with a family vacation, with our son Jeff and his family a few weeks ago.
Joe and I spent most of this week in Holmes County, Ohio, probably our favorite place to visit. We had a relaxing and enjoyable time in a beautiful part of Ohio.
Anniversary surprise at hotel
The photo below was taken last Sunday. Notice all the red for Reformation Sunday. (I had a red jacket on earlier.)
Karen & Joe, 50th Anniversary, Nov 2023
A couple years ago, on our anniversary, I spoke at an event in Pennsylvania and I mentioned that it was our anniversary. Another couple there said that it was also their anniversary and we learned that they were not only married on the same day as we were, they were married the same year and time of day we were married! And they were also Lutheran. What a coincidence!
Joe and I count our blessings and are thankful for our years together and look forward to many more happy years together.
J & K Wedding, 3 Nov 1973
Life is good.
37 comments
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Happy anniversary, Karen and Joe!
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Thanks, Deb!
Thank you for choosing me to share your life with. You were beautiful on our wedding day and more beautiful today. I love you, Joe
Wishing you and your husband a very happy 50th anniversary! Enjoy your celebrations.
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Thank you!
Happy anniversary. Wishing you many more. We just celebrated our 45th
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Thank you! And congratulations on your 45th!
Congratulations, Karen and Joe! What a wonderful story. May you be blessed with many more happy years together.
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Thank you!
Happy 50th anniversary Karen and Joe! We spent our 50th anniversary together during Covid lockdown!! Sadly, Gary passed away before our 52nd. Wishing you many more years of happiness!
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Thank you! So sorry for your loss, but it is good that you had 51 years together. Thanks for writing.
Wonderful anniversary wishes to you both. Today was also my folks anniversary . They were married in 1956 at Mt. Carmel .
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Thanks, Brian. How special that we and your parents share the same date.
Happy anniversary! Glad to learn that you had good weather on your wedding day, don’t I remember your mom talking about the terrible weather on your parents’ chosen wedding date in 1950?
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Thank you! Yes, my parents had to postpone their wedding a week because of the snowstorm in 1950. My dad was a little worried when we set our date in November…
Happy anniversary! Thank you for sharing the happy day with us.
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Thank you!
Congratulations to you two. It was so nice to meet you at the Willshire Alumni banquet a few years ago. Every anniversary is a gift after so many good years together. There are so many widows around that I know I am grateful for our 62 years! We had big family and friends parties for our 50 and 60 because I like to plan them. Fred puts up with me but enjoys it too.
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Thank you! You are correct- every anniversary is a gift. So nice to hear from you.
Thank you, Karen for what you’ve been doing and wishing the two of you many healthy years together.
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Thank you!
Happy anniversary Karen from your cousin and his wife, Mike and Dianne Anselman Donovan. We will celebrate our 60th in two years.
Read your history and recent trips and found it very interesting.
Again, congratulations,
Dianne and Mike
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Thank you!
Happy 50th Anniversary!! Our will be next summer. Thank you for all you do in support of genealogy and thank you Joe for supporting Karen. Wonderful photos. Thanks for sharing your story.
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Thank you! And an early congratulations on your upcoming 50th.
Happy 50th!! A very handsome and beautiful couple then and now.
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Thank you, Gloria!
Happy Golden Anniversary!! Best Wishes for many more happy and healthy years together!
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Thanks, Sharon!
Happy 50th anniversary to you both! What a great milestone!
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Thank you, Erin! So glad we all got to celebrate together on our family vacation.
Happy Anniversary to you both. So rare these days to see a couple make it that far. A true blessing and what a testimony to our Lord and His faithfulness. I don’t know if we will make it to 50, having married much later in life but I am truly grateful for each year. I wish you many more together. Thank you both for being a bright shining light to so many. God Bless you with many more years together.
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Thank you so much!
Congratulations on your 50th anniversary and wishes for many more years together!
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Thank you!
Happy Anniversary! My husband and I also celebrated 50 years this year, so I feel a real kindred with you! You are just as beautiful today as you were then! Paulette Duff Carpenter
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Thank you! And congratulations on your 50th anniversary!