Happy 70th Anniversary

This is the invitation I made for mom and dad's 60th Anniversary, 10 years ago! It was stamp, cut and paste, with rhinestones glued on the marquee.

Johnny and Cecelia met in 1937 at a dance at St. Benedict's High School in Highland Park, Michigan and the rest as they say is history!

And what a history they have had......70 years of marriage, 6 children, 12 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.

The dating years....1937
(Don't forget to click on any photo to enlarge it.)

I'm sharing a photo of them taken while they were dating in 1938. Good looking couple if I do say so myself and you have to love that car, a 1930 Model A Ford! My father purchased the car for $90, making $10 payments per month. It even had a heater and a radio! They were styling!


October 1, 1938, was the wedding day of my parents, John Laurier Decoteau & Cecelia Marie Morneau at St. James Church in Ferndale, Michigan. In attendance were dad's brother and best man, Charlie Decoteau and mom's best friend and brides maid, Betty VanSteele. A small reception was held for the couple and their immediate family at the home of Mr. & Mrs. William J. Morneau, 1322 Colton Avenue, Detroit, Michigan.

Dad wore a blue suit and mom wore a blue velvet dress.

Dad served in the United States Navy during the war years, and the happy couple posed for this picture taken, circa 1944. The dress mom is wearing is the same dress she wore for her wedding! I remember seeing the broach she wore on her dress in her jewelry box as a child!


I used this photo to create their anniversary card. I enlarged the picture and printed it on photo paper, mounted it under this old paper frame, embellished it with strips of gold border. On the back I added a sticker that read: It happened in 1938 (see below). The snapshot I took of the card has exactly the same coloring as the smaller photo at the left, but poor lighting made it impossible to get a good picture of the finished product. ( I will retake the photograph soon!)


Today they are celebrating their 70th Wedding Anniversary! A feat not achieved by very many couples in today's society. This recent photo of them was taken last month. My parents, born in 1919, are both 89 years old.

"Happy 70th Anniversary, Mom and Dad"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Postscript: Ten years ago, the Decoteau children and grandchildren gave a huge party for the anniversary couple in San Diego, CA. For their 60th Anniversary Party (where 100 of their closest family, friends and acquaintances from as far away as Japan gathered to celebrate) I created the black and white invitation, the theme for the party.

I made it the old fashioned way....cut and paste, as my computer skills then did not include Photoshop layering which I've learned in subsequent years! I wanted to use this copy of the invitation to start off this years Congratulatory Wishes!

(Click on "It happened in...1938" below to see it up close and personal!)

.