Grooms Celebrate 50th Anniversary

Ron and Marilyn Groom celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Aug. 12, 2017, with family and friends. They were married at the First Nazarene Church in Walla Walla (now Amazing Grace Nazarene). Following a brief honeymoon at Wallowa Lake, Ore., the couple returned to Guam where Ron was stationed at Anderson Air Force Base working as an instrument technician on C-130 weather squadron planes.

Marilyn taught second-grade at Anderson Air Force Base Elementary School – at the time, the largest elementary school in the world with 1950 children in grades K-6. At the end of Ron's tour of duty on Guam, the couple was re-assigned to Williams Air Force Base, a pilot training base, near Chandler, Ariz.

It was there that their son, Jay, was born. In July of 1970, Ron was honorably discharged and the family moved home to Dayton and the family farm. Son Dan was born in Dayton in 1972. Ron farmed until 1997 when he got his insurance license and began selling insurance and annuities. Ron also served on the Columbia County Planning Commission for 25 years.

Marilyn taught at Liberty Christian School in Walla Walla and at WWCC for a number of years, and worked for several attorneys' offices in the Walla Walla and Dayton areas. She continues to sub at the Waitsburg schools. For fun, she enjoys crocheting afghans for family and friends.

The couple still lives on the farm while leasing out the farmland. They are active in the Waitsburg Presbyterian Church and enjoy spending time with their grown children and ten grandchildren.