Childers 50th

Martin and Patricia Childers celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with family and friends on April 24, 2005, with an open house hosted by their children in their home, near Toppenish, Wash.

Martin Childers and Patricia Fry were married April 24, 1955, in Pendleton, Ore. They have lived and farmed near Toppenish since they were married.

The Childers family includes: Sherri and George Flynt and Mike Childers, all of Deltona, Fla.

Downs 95th

Meta A. Downs celebrated her 95th birthday on July 26, 2005, with a dinner in Wasilla, Alaska, hosted by her family. She is a member of the Colville (Wash.) Church.

Meta was born Aug. 5, 1910, in Knox, Ind. She spent her early years in Wibaux, Mont., where her family joined the Adventist Church. She joined later as a teen. She graduated from nurses' training at Hinsdale Sanitarium. During WWII, she joined the Women's Army Corps and served in Papua New Guinea and the Philippines as part of the 47th General Hospital, an Adventist army unit.

Upon returning from the war, Meta married Alva William “Bill” Downs on Sept. 29, 1946. They were married 51 years until his death in 1998. Besides nursing, Meta raised five children and several foster children, and volunteered with her husband as a missionary in the Marshall Islands and Belize. She currently lives in her home in Colville, Wash., when she is not visiting family.

The Downs family includes: Jim and Patty (Broadwell) Downs of Tacoma, Wash.; Dorothy Polk of Tacoma; Laura and Dave Schwimmer of Colville; Wendell and Linda (Gibson) Downs of Wasilla; Donna Marie (deceased); Barbara Ensley of Fletcher, N.C.; 13 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.

Kubecka 50th

Jim and Betty Kubecka celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Aug. 28, 2005, in Spokane, Wash. They celebrated with friends and family at a reception hosted by their daughter and son-in-law.

Jim Kubecka and Betty Sanger met at Berrien County Hospital where they both worked while attending Andrews University. They were married on Sept. 4, 1955, in Frederick, Md., at Betty’s home church.

Betty worked as an RN and Jim as a commercial artist until 1970 when they changed careers and became elementary school teachers. Jim and Betty taught public school in Sandpoint, Idaho, and Guam for a total of five years. In 1975, they entered denominational work and taught for the Texas, Upper Columbia, Hawaii, and Oregon conferences before retiring in 1992. They currently reside in Nine Mile Falls, Wash.

The Kubecka family includes: Karen and Tim Schultz of Nine Mile Falls, Wash.; Jim Kubecka of Arlington, Texas; Michael and Janna (Stern) Kubecka of Edmonds, Wash.; and 3 grandchildren.

Mohr 50th

Gilbert and Jean Mohr of Sunnyside, Wash., celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with family and friends June 26, 2005, with a buffet hosted by their children at the Sunnyside Church reception hall.

Gilbert Mohr and Jean Fry were married Aug. 21, 1955, in Granger, Wash. Originally from Granger, they moved back to the area in 1992. Gilbert is a retired teacher who taught in Deer Park, Everett, Puyallup and Yakima, Wash., and San Jose, Calif. Jean, now retired, worked at the Deaconess Hospital in Spokane, Wash., and Providence Hospital in Everett, Wash.

The Mohr family includes: Gary and Dori Mohr of Lodi, Calif.; Sherry and Simon Hamamjy of San Jose, Calif.; Jere and Holly Mohr of Federal Way, Wash.; and 5 grandchildren.

Petersen 90th

Lewis and Margarete Petersen celebrated their 90th birthdays on Aug. 2, 2005, with family members at the Wheatland Village restaurant in Walla Walla. Lewis and Margarete were both very active in the Corvallis Church for 50 years. They moved to College Place in 1996 to be near their daughter. They now reside in Walla Walla at Wheatland Village and are members of the College Place Village Church.

Lewis was born Sept. 3, 1915, in Hawarden, Iowa. He grew up in South Dakota and Wisconsin and graduated from Emmanuel Missionary College (now Andrews University) in 1939. He traveled the United States as a salesman before purchasing the Franklin Press, a printing business in Corvallis, Ore., which he owned and operated for 35 years. Margarete Seilaz was born June 29, 1915, and raised in Knoxville, Tenn. She graduated from Southern Junior College (now Southern Adventist University), then from EMU in 1943, and worked as a teacher and librarian before her marriage to Lewis on Nov. 3, 1946. Since then she has been a homemaker and helped in her husband’s business. An artist, she has produced oil paintings, background murals, calligraphy, and chalk drawings with live musical accompaniment.

The Petersen family includes Beverly and Martin Scott of College Place, Wash.; Glenda and Marshall Marklin of Ontario, Calif.; 4 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

Rexin 50th

Emil and Rosemarie Rexin celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on July 10, 2005, with a dinner reception hosted by their children at the family home in Willamina, Ore.

Emil Rexin and Rosemarie Falstad were married July 13, 1955, in Salem, Ore. They both had moved out to Oregon from North Dakota where they grew up on farms. The next 40 years were busy ones. Emil worked at the state hospital 38 years, and Rosemarie taught school at Hopewell and then taught kindergarten for 39 years. They are now retired but busier than ever getting settled on forest land and enjoying God's great outdoors.

The Rexin family includes: Donna and Jim Helein and Douglas and Heidi Rexin, all of Willamina; Debbie and Greg Poupard of Loma Linda, Calif.; and 7 grandchildren.

Smick 50th

Lorrell and Shirley Smick celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Aug. 28, 2005, with a catered dinner reception with entertainment, put together by their family and friends.

Lorrell Smick married Shirley Lewis Aug. 28, 1955, in Olympia Wash. Lorrell practiced dentistry for 35 years in Yuba City, Calif. He also kept the grounds on a volunteer basis at the Yuba City Adventist Church as well as serving as finance committee chairman for several years. Shirley was a stay-at-home mom, providing a warm and hospitable environment for her family. She also worked for 32 consecutive years in the children’s divisions at the Yuba City Church. She also served as a secretary for the church in various offices. They moved to Brush Prairie, Wash., in 1999, where Shirley is the church florist and Lorrell serves on several church boards and keeps the Hockinson Heights Church grounds in top form.

The Smick family includes: Debbie and Phil Muthersbaugh of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Tami Smick of Clackamas, Ore.; Jason Smick of Fresno, Calif.; and 2 grandchildren.

Smith 50th

Richard and Sharon Smith celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in Hawaii. Their daughters planned an anniversary trip to Hawaii that included the whole family. They are members of Auburn City Church in Auburn, Wash.

Dick Smith and Sharon Lorren met while attending Auburn Academy and married on Aug. 22, 1955, in Pendleton, Ore. Dick graduated from the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry in 1961, and practiced dentistry in private practice until he retired in 1989. He then worked as a supervising dentist for the Pierce College Dental Hygiene program, and just retired from that in June 2005. His paintings have been accepted at several juried art exhibitions. Sharon worked alongside Dick in his dental practice until she retired in 1988.

The Smith family includes: Julie and Rick Hermanson of Bonney Lake, Wash.; and Kelly and Ed Kauzlarich of Spanaway, Wash.; and 2 grandchildren.

Stanley 100th

Jessie N. Stanley celebrated her 100th birthday on Oct. 9, 2005, with a reception at the Gaston Wayside Chapel fellowship hall hosted by a long-time friend, Grace McEwen, along with her brother-in-law and his wife from Idaho. Her great niece, Lynell Tucker, also hosted a Sabbath evening vespers and potluck supper on Oct. 1, 2005, at the Gaston Wayside Chapel in her honor.

Jessie was born on Oct. 7, 1905, in Purdy, Mo., eighth child of Hiram and Laura (Buchanan) Giddings. Jessie traces her ancestry to U.S. President James Buchanan. She married Vern Stanley on Sept. 29, 1930. In 1938 Jessie and Vern moved to Oregon and joined the Gaston Church in February of 1939. In 1942, Jessie began working in the nursery of the Portland Adventist Hospital, where she gave loving care for 25 years. After her retirement in 1969, Jessie enjoyed working outdoors in her country home. During this time, Jessie served as church treasurer and was on the building committee for the new church, the Gaston Wayside Chapel, volunteering many hours. Vern was laid to rest in 1995 after 65 happy years of marriage. Jessie remains an active church member of the Gaston Wayside Chapel. She now lives in an apartment in the home of her great nephew, Ed Tucker, where she has been for nearly 10 years.

Williams 50th

Dick and Doris Williams celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary In August of 2005, with a reception at a local restaurant hosted by their children. They are members of the McMinnville Church.

Richard R. Williams and Doris Elaine Jauch were married Aug. 7, 1955, in Lodi, Calif., upon Dick’s discharge from the U.S. Army. Both had taught several years prior to their marriage: Dick at San Francisco and San Diego; Doris at Camino-Placerville and Sacramento. Following their wedding, Dick was employed as a teacher at the campus elementary school at PUC and Doris as the principal's secretary and librarian in 1955. (Both are graduates of PUC—classes of 1951/55 and 1954 respectively.) The next 3 years were spent in Glendale, California, where Dick was elementary principal and Doris was employed one year as second grade teacher. The years following were spent in graduate schools, teaching and/or administration/supervision in San Jose, Calif., and Sandpoint, Idaho. Doris' teaching career has focused mainly in the primary grades; while Dick's has spread over kindergarten through college/graduate level workshops and seminars, as well as elementary school principal. Their combined careers as educators span about 84 years. Doris retired from Bonner County School District in 1993 and Dick in 1994 where they remained in residence. After 24 years in Sandpoint, they relocated in August of 2003 to McMinnville, Ore., to be nearer their married children.

The Williams family includes: Celene and Lorne Cross of Paradise, Calif.; and Cecily and Grant Geschke and of Clackamas, Ore.; and 3 grandchildren.