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Wayne (Whitey) and Mary Gutshall celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Feb. 25, 2016.
They met at the Pottawattamie County Fair in Avoca, Iowa, in July of 1965, while Wayne was stationed at the Treynor, Iowa, Missile Base. They were married in Omaha, Nebraska, on Feb. 25, 1966.
Wayne and Mary transferred to Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland, where their first child, Stephanie, was born. Wayne went to Vietnam in January of 1968, while Mary stayed in Avoca, Iowa, with her parents, where their second child, Steven, was born.
In 1969, upon Wayne’s return from Vietnam, they moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, until 1972, then he was deployed to Germany for three years. On returning from Germany en route to Fort Meade, Maryland, Wayne suffered a major heart attack, which led to a medical discharge from the U.S. Army.
Wayne and Mary settled in Wayne’s hometown of Lewistown, where their third child, Scott, was born.
Mary enrolled in the nursing program and was employed at William Penn Rehab Center, now Golden Living Center, for 21 years.
In 1984, they moved to Belltown in Mifflin County. Wayne was instrumental in helping his son, Steve, and nephew, Randy, found Pheasant Valley Recycling.
The couple enjoys living in a rural area, as well as traveling, hunting, fishing, gardening, yard sales and doing good deeds for others.
In addition to their three children, they have eight grandchildren and three step-grandchildren.
To celebrate their special anniversary, the family gathered for a small private ceremony in their honor.
They attribute the success of their marriage to accepting and overcoming the challenges of life and adhering to Bible principles.