Mom and Dad’s 70th

Mom and Dad (Joe and Betty Claeys) celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on Saturday, May 20th, the very date they were married 70 years ago at St. Eloi Catholic Church in Ghent, Minnesota.  The party was at KB’s in Ghent.

Sitting on chairs in a single file row like this makes me smile, but it wasn’t my idea.  As you can see, Mom and Dad are in the middle with their four boys on the left and their three girls on the right.

That’s Paul, Matt, Louie, Bernie, Mom, Dad, Susan, Barb, Nancy.  As Mom said, “We’re still all here.”

This is the group of Mom and Dad’s children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren who were able to attend.  I think there’s about 25 missing, including my own kids and grandkids who had just spent personal time with Mom and Dad at Easter time.  As a matter of fact, the video that played at their 70th was created from the recent tour of the homeplace with my kids.

The party was not an Open House and only a few calls were made but everyone who was called came to see Mom and Dad.

These two ladies are part of the Saturday Night at Hardees group after the 5 o’clock Mass in Marshall.

Lc

 

Jeanene [Claeys] Munsterman and her mother Doris Claeys drove in from Madison, MN.  Doris was married to Uncle Don Claeys, my dad’s oldest brother who died in 2001 at the age of 84.

Allan Orsen and Steve Boerboom are brothers in law married to sisters, Susan and Nancy.

My parents always pay for everything, at every celebration since their 40th, 50th, 60th, and 65th anniversaries, and that includes all the beverages.  That’s my brother Matt on the left.  My nephew Bill Boerboom is flanked on the left by his son Cody and Dillon on the right.  Bill and Missy have another son, Wyatt.

Many other friends and relatives came to see Mom and Dad including these two DeSutter sisters, Angele Coudron and Bernadette Stassen.

Lucky guys.

Mike Opdahl is my mom’s brother, and that’s his wife Norma.  Mom is the oldest of seven.  Only three are left.

That’s my dad’s younger brother Jim Claeys and his wife Julie and their oldest of seven, Terri Boerboom.

Allan on the left poses with my Uncle Bill Drown (his wife was my mom’s sister Sharlene), Norma Opdahl, Cindy (one of Bill and Sharlene’s seven) and her husband Dennis Anderson, and my Uncle Mike.

Scott Boerboom (married to my cousin Terri) and Dad.

Jane Fox visiting with my brother Matt.

Nancy visiting with our Uncle Bill Drown, and our brother Paul on the right.

Devyn is one of my brother Bernie’s 13 grandchildren.

First cousins Bob Claeys and Matt Claeys.

My cousin Jay Opdahl and his wife Jackie, with Jay’s Uncle Joe.

Aunt Sandy Opdahl (married to my late Uncle Junior), their daughter Ann, and daughter Judy and husband Greg Novotny.

Aunt Sandy and Uncle Bill say goodbye after the party.  They were both married to siblings of my mother.

The three sisters in law, who married the three Claeys brothers:  Doris (Don), Mom (Joe), and Julie (Jim).

Denise and Chris Drown, my brother Matt, my brother Louie, Cindy Anderson (a sister of Chris).  Four first cousins.

Someone insisted I get in the picture, Allan, too.  Now there are five first cousins in the picture.

I am the oldest of all the first cousins — and there are dozens of them — on both Mom and Dad’s side.

Jim and Jean Wambeke (parents of Matt and Paul’s wives) stopped by to say hi.

Some of my sister Barb’s family — husband Doug and their two sons John and Tom, with John’s two boys and Tom’s daughter Arianna who drove in from Texas for the occasion.

Cousin Bob Claeys talking to Jackie and Cousin Jay Opdahl.

Aunt Sandy and Cousin Ann saying goodbye to Mom.

Email:  Sue@PrintsPublishing.com

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Three of my sibs.

Mom and Dad with their grandson Tom and his daughter Arianna. 

Dad and three of the boys.

It was a rainy spring afternoon and that meant nobody had to be out working in the fields.

It was a wonderful party.  The kids arranged for things but Mom and Dad always pick up the tab.  Thank you, good parents.

Love, Susan