Popes to mark 50th (10/6/03)

Mr. and Mrs. Gene Pope will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 11, with an open house and luncheon at Christian Care Retirement Community, Bluffton, from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Gene married Evelyn Sweeney on Oct. 11, 1953, at the Mulberry Street Wesleyan Methodist Church, Bluffton, with the Rev. Roscoe Coleman presiding.

They are the parents of Ron and Twila Dubbeld, Bluffton, and Allen and Beth Pope, Indianapolis. They also have seven grandchildren.

Gene was a teacher with the Jay School Corporation for over 30 years. He was a delegate for the Jay School Corporation Teachers Association to NEA National Assembly for several years. He also was a delegate for ISTA Representative Assembly for many years.

Since retiring, he is a substitute teacher and has been appointed to the ISTA Retired Council and is a delegate to the ISTA Representative Assembly at Indianapolis and a liaison for the Jay-Ran-Del District Council for ISTA.

Evelyn has been a music teacher for over 50 years, teaching accordion, marimba, organ and piano. She also cooked for Bluffton schools for 11 years and retired from H&R Block after 12 years of tax preparation.

Together, the couple are also evangelists who travel from church to church. For the past 32 years, they have spent one week at a church youth camp in Athens, Mich., every summer.

They are planning an extended trip through the northern states and California at a later date.[[In-content Ad]]