Rodney and Shirley's 50th Wedding Anniversary

Shirley and Rodney are the Aunt and Uncle I have grown up with the most out of all the Wass family. When I was a baby Mom and Dad bought 5 acres from Uncle Bob, Uncle Kenny bought another 5 acres, and Uncle Bob still had >5 acres. Bob and Jean lived on Southern California and would come to Mariposa a few times a year, eventually they moved to Mariposa full time. Rodney and Shirley rented an old house from Uncle Bob, and my family lived in a 8x35 trailer (with a living room added on) literally in Shirley and Rodney's yard until Dad was able to build a road and a structure to move us to the top of the hill. My Mom, Marian and Shirley was kinda like Lavernne and Shirley - sort of Mutt and Jeff. Mom and Shirley shared a car at one time, and a washer, went everywhere together

...I think my Dad drove Shirley home from the hospital after the birth of Rodney and Shirley's first child Ronda. We did not have a lot of money, but we had enough, my brother, Brian and I were raised with Ronda, Darin and later Jason. Played together every day, often our Dad's worked together so we would also be with them in the summer "at camp" while Dad's worked in the mountains on logging roads, or other projects, we kids would swim in the creeks and any water we could find. More than one summer Grandma Wass would come to came also, she loved to swim and she could back float like no one else I have ever seen.

Shirley and Rodney have always been there through my life and through the life of many of my cousins. It was a wonderful day to celebrate their 50th wedding Anniversary.

Shirley trying to get Rodney to hold the signature quilt

 

Congratulations Shirley and Rodney, you are both the BEST!

Special Aunts - Pat and Marilyn

the men keeping warm by an outside fire (there were many)

Jason and Sarah Wass