Ellsworth 50th

Don and Greta Ellsworth enjoyed a surprise 50th anniversary party hosted by their children in late July. They are members of the Brewster (Wash.) Church.

Don Ellsworth married Greta Kleimola Jan. 26, 1957, in Ironwood, Mich. They moved to Washington in 1959 and lived in Bellevue, Fall City and Coupeville before moving to Brewster in 1991, and recently to Pateros, Wash. Don retired from many years as a postmaster. Greta was a homemaker.

The Ellsworth family includes Susan and Daryl Libbey of Pateros; Mike and Diana Ellsworth of Manson, Wash.; Darla and Dave Dietrich of Zillah, Wash.; they have nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Grant 60th

Truman and Elinor Grant celebrated their 60th anniversary May 13, 2007, with a reception held in the Canyonville, Ore., Church fellowship hall. They have been active in the Myrtle Creek Church for more than 50 years.

Truman Grant married Elinor Logan May 8, 1947, on Vank Island, near Wrangle, Alaska. Truman's career started as an Army cook. After serving in the Army, Truman worked as a logger for seven years, then as a self-employed produce distributor for 50 years. Elinor met Truman while she was working as a nanny in Alaska. She worked with her husband logging timber for several years. In 1968, Elinor obtained her nursing certificate and worked as a nurse for several years. She also worked for Douglas County as a school bus driver for four years. Following that, Elinor opened a foster care home which she continues to operate.

The Grant family includes Florian D. and Clint Kimball of Caldwell, Idaho; Everett and Debbie Grant of Grants Pass, Ore.; Ramona and T. Orvin Fillman of Honolulu, Hawaii; Truman A. and Candice Grant of Riverside, Calif.; Edward and Cheryl Grant of Walla Walla, Wash.; they have 13 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Hart 65th

Lewis and Ruth Hart celebrated their 65th anniversary Aug. 20, 2007, with friends. They are members of the College Place (Wash.) Village Church.

Lewis Hart married Ruth Swanson on Aug. 20, 1942, in Fallon, Nev., in Ruth's parents' home. Lewis graduated from Walla Walla College (now University) in June, and they went to teach at Campion Academy in Colorado. In 1944 Lewis began medical school at the College of Medical Evangelists (now Loma Linda University). After his internship in Spokane, Wash., he practiced in Rockford, Wash. Then they moved to Troy, Idaho, so their sons could attend church school. He practiced there for 10 years except for two years while he served as a flight surgeon at Hanscom Air Force Base near Boston, Mass. He then practiced in Roseburg, Ore., for five years following he took a residency in anesthesiology at LLU Medical Center. They served in Africa, then returned to practice anesthesiology in Loma Linda and Riverside, Calif. In retirement they moved back to Roseburg, Ore., then College Place, Wash., and are now moving back to Loma Linda, Calif., to be near their children.

The Hart family includes Kenneth and Dynette (Nelson) Hart of San Bernardino, Calif.; and Richard and Judy Hart of Loma Linda.

Herbel 50th

Ray and LeAnn Herbel celebrated their 50th anniversary on June 2, 2007. They have been members of the Saginaw, Gobles, and Niles, Mich., churches for 30 years.

Ray Herbel and LeAnn Rodie were married June 2, 1957, in Abilene, Kan., by Pastor Harold Hampton. Ray has been a principal and teacher, retiring in 1995. LeAnn has been a teacher, retiring in 1997.

The Herbel family includes Kathy Herbel of Niles; Brent and Connie Herbel of Huntsville, Mo.; they have two grandchildren.

Hiner 50^th

Dr. Jerry and Gayle Hiner celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary at a reception hosted by their children and grandchildren on June 10, 2007, in the Empire Ballroom at the Marcus Whitman Hotel, in Walla Walla, Wash. They stayed there 50 years earlier on their wedding night. The celebration included a slide show following their lives from childhood to present with music from the 50s. They also celebrated the occasion with a trip to Cabo San Lucas with family.

The couple met at Walla Walla Valley Academy and had their first date at a Valentine's party. Jerry Hiner and Gayle Dammrose were married June 9, 1957, in the Village Church in College Place, Wash. Jerry is a 1971 graduate of the University Autonoma of Guadalajara, Mexico. A family practice physician, he is currently chief medical officer of the Reliance Medical Clinic in Richland, Wash. He enjoys traveling, coin collecting, flying, and time with family. Gayle graduated from Columbia Basin Community College with a nursing degree in 1983. She is a part-time staff nurse at the Community Health Center in Kennewick, Wash. She enjoys gardening, sewing and playing the piano. Dr. and Mrs. Hiner are active members of the Walla Walla University Church where they have attended for the past 11 years.

The Hiner family includes Ann and Greg Lehman of College Place; Julia and Bruce Kay of Kirkland, Wash.; Kara Hiner (deceased); Dr. Tad and Grace Hiner of College Place; Rod and Kirstina Hiner of Kennewick, Wash.; they have seven grandchildren.

Lantry's 60th

Jay and Eileen Lantry celebrated their 60th anniversary on Aug. 5, 2007, at a dinner hosted by their children and Bonners Ferry (Idaho) Church members at the Ben Shelton Memorial Gymnasium. They are members of the Bonners Ferry Church.

More than 125 people from the church and the community attended. Their two sons, Kimber and Kevin, shared tributes as well as a DVD of their life. Jay is a retired pastor and Eileen an author of many books. Her latest book co-authored with David Gates is Mission Miracles. While living at Bonners Ferry, they have been on more than 19 missions, working as a president of a college, building churches and schools throughout India, the Solomon Islands, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Honduras.

Lowry 90^th

Dr. Roscoe Lowry celebrated his 90^th birthday on Jan. 4 with authentic Indian food, a slide show, and an opportunity for people to share their memories.

Roscoe was born Jan. 4, 1918, in Bangalore, India, to missionary parents and was educated through high school in India. He went to college in the United States. In 1940, at age 22, he returned to India as a missionary himself with his wife, J. Louise (Carter) Lowry, who was also raised in India by missionary parents and was his childhood sweetheart. With them was their 6-month-old baby, Lobeth. He worked his entire career in India in various capacities but was mainly an educator for the first half of his career. In 1950, he became the Southern Asia Division education director. He remained in this position for three terms, during which time he also earned his doctorate in education and philosophy. The second half of his career was served as an administrator. In 1962, he served the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists as vice president for the Southern Asia Division of the world church. He then went on to serve the same division for four terms as president. Following this he was a General Conference field secretary in Southern Asia until he left India in 1987. After 47 years of service, he retires in Chehalis, Wash. His wife, Louise, died in 2003.

The Lowry family includes Beth Johanson of McKinleyville, Calif.; Lyvern Reiswig of Chehalis; Carter Lowry of Loma Linda, Calif.; Priya Lowry of Redmond, Wash.; he has seven grandchildren and 10 geat-grandchildren.

Meidinger 65^th

Lee and Mary Meidinger celebrated their 65^th anniversary at the restaurant at Wheatland Village Retirement Home in Walla Walla, Wash., where they have resided the last three years. They are members of the Village Church in College Place, Wash.

Lee J. Meidinger and Mary E. Westherby were married Aug. 31, 1942, in Compton, Calif., after meeting at La Sierra College in Riverside, Calif. Mary was the cashier/bookkeeper at the college for three years. After Lee graduated in 1946, he pastored churches in Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Upper Columbia conferences. In 1959, the family moved to Walla Walla, Wash., where Lee pastored the Walla Walla City Church. He was also a pastor in Stateline, Ore., and Moses Lake and Wenatchee, Wash. In 1980, they retired and moved to College Place. Mary was a social worker at the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services for more than 20 years.

The Meidinger family includes Dennis and Pam (Todorovich) Meidinger of Snoqualmie, Wash.; Daryl Meidinger (deceased); Don and Cathy (Rettig) Meidinger of Battle Ground, Wash.; Dan and Carol (Ordelheide) Meidinger of Sunnyvale, Calif.; and Duane and Margie (Anderson) Meidinger of College Place; they have eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Miller 95th

Leona L. Miller celebrated her 95th birthday on Nov. 18 and 22, 2007, with two Thanksgiving banquets hosted by family and friends, one at the Anderson (Calif.) Church fellowship hall, and one in the Milo Academy's student center in Days Creek, Ore. Miller is a member of the Canyonville Church in Canyonville, Ore.

Leona Hilligoss was born Nov. 21, 1912, in McCall, Idaho, the third of six children born to Alpha and Myrtle (Hardin) Hilligoss. Her family moved to Oregon in 1919 and she lived most of her life in the Willamette Valley. She married Forest Miller in 1930 at age 17 in McMinnville, Ore., and worked as a nurse for more than 14 years after her two children were in school. Forest died in 1996 after 66 years of marriage.

The Miller family includes Norman and Phyllis (Rowell) Miller, Days Creek, Ore.; Marilyn and Wally Molander, Anderson; she has six grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

Walters 95^th

Dolly Walters, born Feb. 3, 1913, in McMinnville, Ore., was given a corsage in appreciation for her years as organist during the church service at Gladstone Park on Feb. 2.

She has played for evangelistic meetings and keeps in good health by walking a mile a day around Somerset Lodge, where she is a resident.

The Walters family includes two girls, Lillian Marchlin, Hillsboro, Ore.; and Carol Ebner, of Washington; she has nine grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.