anniv/watkins.sr 4/21

Ernest and Wanda Watkins of Mountain Home, Idaho, celebrated their golden wedding anniversary by renewing their vows April 20, 2002. The ceremony was at River of Life Church in Mountain Home and was performed by the Rev. Larry Semore.

Hosts were their children and grandchildren.

Watkins and Wanda Clements were married April 18, 1952, in Elko, Nev. She is the daughter of the late Cecile McFadden of Sacramento, Calif., and the late Jasper Clements of Truman, Ariz. Watkins is the son of the late Charles and Ruth Watkins of Millcreek, Ill.

Watkins served 24 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a master sergeant in 1972. He served three tours of duty in Korea and two tours in Vietnam. He then worked at the Cairo Evening Citizen, and later was composing room foreman at the Southeast Missourian Newspaper 12 years.

Mrs. Watkins was a dietary planner and cook at Spanish Oak Nursing Home in Anna, worked at Olin Mills Photography Studio in Cape Girardeau, and then was a cook with Ingram Barge Lines.

They moved out west in 1988 and managed apartment complexes in Cheney, Wash., and Meridian, Idaho. They moved to Mountain Home in 1989 and were managers for Republic Storage 10 years, retiring in 1999.

Their children and spouses are: Shirley Hughes of Sacramento, Jean and Joe Agbisit of Moses Lake, Wash., Deanna Suggs and Barbara and Robert Hodges of Mountain Home, Lorraine and Ray Osborne of East Bernstadt, Ky.; and James Watkins of Lubbock, Texas.

The couple has 13 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.