Anniversary is celebrated by the Saunders

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Mr. and Mrs. John Saunders Jr.

CANFIELD

Mr. and Mrs. John Saunders Jr., 5138 Leffingwell Road, were honored by their children, family members and friends as they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at Das Dutch House Restaurant in Columbiana.

The dinner party took place Feb. 27, exactly 50 years after their Feb. 27, 1960, wedding, in Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church, Youngstown.

Hosts for the festivities were their sons, John of Virginia, Melvan and Tim of Columbiana, and their daughter-in-law, Connie Saunders. Also participating were three of their five grandchildren, Melvan Earl, Thomas James and Kaleigh Mae, all of Columbiana. Unable to attend were Brandon and Stephanie of Vienna, Austria.

Mr. Saunders was employed at Republic Steel in Youngstown and Warren until retiring in 1982. He served as president of Canfield Rotary in 2001-2003, and for the past 12 years has been responsible for getting funding for the Canfield First Night celebration.

Mrs. Saunders, the former Dolores Van Kirk, taught at Villa Marie High School in Pennsylvania from 1964 until 1969 when she began teaching at Canfield High School, where she was the girls gymnastic coach until the sport was dropped in 1985. She then taught at C.H. Campbell Elementary School, and is presently a teacher at Hilltop Elementary School in Canfield. She will retire at the end of the school year after 46 years of teaching.