Gordon & Mary "Bettye" McKenzie 65 th Anniversary

Gordon &

Mary ‘‘‘Bettye'' McKenzie

65th Wedding Anniversary

Mr. Gordon and Mary ‘‘Bettye'' McKenzie will celebrate their 65th Wedding Anniversary with family in Wellington, Colorado on June 12th.

During her high school years, Bettye lived in Independence, Missouri and lived one block from the Harry Truman home. Prior to the Truman presidency, her father played poker with Harry and her mother played bridge with Bess. They then moved to Pekin, Illinois.

Gordon, upon graduation from the University of Illinois in 1942, accepted a football coaching position at Pekin High School. His picture in a football uniform and an article about him was in the local paper. Bettye clipped it out and told her mother, ‘‘That's the man I am going to marry'' and she did.

Bettye's Uncle Mills married them in the First Methodist Church in Pekin.

Gordon & Bettye have four children - Scott, Virginia Beach, Virginia - Ken, Wellington, Colorado - Becky, Fairfield, Virginia and Michael, Frankfort, Illinois. They have nine grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Gordon coached football for 25 years in Watseka, Illinois and upon his retirement in 1977, the couple moved to Harlingen and have lived at Posada Del Sol Mobile Home Park for the last 30 years.