Gibbons 50th

GIBBONS 50th

Ed and Dianne Gibbons recently celebrated their 50th anniversary with a trip to Austria and Switzerland, staying in quaint towns and admiring the Alps. It was a delight to see the Matterhorn and take the cog railway to the “Top of Europe” — Jungfrau. The couple also spent time celebrating with their children and grandchildren at Belknap Hot Springs in Oregon.

Edwin K. Gibbons met Dianne K. Swetnam at Walla Walla College (WWC) in 1967. They were in a play reading, Christ in the Concrete City, to fulfill an assignment for Dianne’s speech class. Their first date was the night before her graduation. Her first teaching assignment took her to Pleasant Hill Junior Academy just outside of Eugene, Ore. While Ed finished his degree at WWC he managed to write often, and this “snail mail” courtship was the start of good things. He finished his degree the next spring, and two weeks later, on June 17, 1968, the couple married in Portland, Ore., Dianne’s hometown.

The Gibbons both taught in elementary schools in the Adventist system: Ed for 27 years and Dianne for 25 years. They taught together for 15 years as the only teachers in small elementary schools in Oregon, including Astoria, Klamath Falls and Madras. Faculty meetings were never a problem.

Three children blessed their marriage: Larry in 1974, Timothy in 1977 and Angela in 1979. All three of them became their parents’ students, which made for a busy, but good, life. Larry is now an ER nurse, Timothy is an MRI technologist, and Angela works for Portland Adventist Medical Center.

They wish to thank their family and many friends, including parents and students, for their friendship and support. The years have created beautiful memories and grateful hearts.

The Gibbons family includes Larry Gibbons of Salem, Ore.; Timothy and Megan (Stenseth) Gibbons of Corvallis, Ore.; Angela and Jerel Hutepea of Clackamas, Ore.; and 5 grandchildren.