Duckworth - 50 years

Mr. and Mrs. James H. Duckworth of Perks, Ill., will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a reception June 15, 2008.

The event will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. at Maple Grove Baptist Church Fellowship Hall in Perks, hosted by their children and grandchildren.

Duckworth and Vurtis Clayton were married June 14, 1958, at Saratoga Church in Union County, Ill., with the Rev. Joe Hankla performing the ceremony.

Their attendants were Fern Frick Dexter of Jonesboro, Ill., and Billy Issom, formerly of Perks.

Mrs. Duckworth is the daughter of the late William and Pearl Smith Clayton. He is the son of Herman and Annelle Duckworth.

She had worked at General Telephone Co. in Anna., Ill. She also served as secretary/clerk at Red Star Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau and other church ministries.

Duckworth had been manager of Kroger stores in Centralia, Fairfield and Benton, Ill., and Cape Girardeau. He was director of retail operations at Wetterau Foods in Scott City. Duckworth retired from Choate Mental Health and Development Center in Anna, Ill. They are members of Maple Grove Church.

The couple has two children, James (Gayla) Duckworth of Lafayette, La., and Teresa Althoff of Perks; and six grandchildren.