Couples celebrate 50 years of marriage at Clark County Fair's Golden Wedding party
Jul. 25—One of the Clark County Fair's biggest annual events is the Golden Wedding party, which honors those who have been married for at least 50 years.
At Tuesday's event, several couples among the roughly 200 people in attendance shared how they have stayed together so long.
Every year, the couple married the longest get crowned queen and king and get sashes and a cake.
William and Patricia Buck, who will celebrate their 75th anniversary on Sept. 19, won for this year.
William Buck said the secret in staying together so long is: "Every time I say I'm leaving, she says, 'I'm going with you.'"
Organizers sent out 1,700 invites, inviting couples to a celebration with ice cream, cupcakes, boxed lunch and live music. Those who attend are invited back each year and receive a lifelong pass to the fair.
Falling in love through a choir group while overseas in the British Isles, Jim and Sara Campbell have been married for a little more than 50 years. They got married on Sara Campbell's 21st birthday.
Jim Campbell says if a man wants to keep his wife for this long, he needs to remember two words: "Yes dear."
Richard and Dianne Ferguson met at a party when they were young teens, marrying a few years later at 20 and 18 years old. Their favorite memory is their time together in Germany, when Richard Ferguson was stationed there for the military. They say the key to lasting 50 years is patience, not listening to anyone else when it comes to working through issues, and never fighting over money.
Frank and Connie Deel, wearing matching t-shirts reading "Sarcasm, it's what I do best," have been married for 58 years. Frank Deel moved from Virginia right next door to his now-wife, Connie. They were 18 and 21 when they got married and went on to have four children.
Tuesday also was Connie Deel's 75th birthday.
"I'm so excited to have so many people come to my birthday party," she joked.
After having moderate weather for the first several days of the fair, temperatures began to climb Tuesday, and hotter weather is expected the rest of the week through the end of the fair Friday. Temperatures in the 90s with heat indices in the high 90s up to 105.
It is important to take breaks from the sun, rest in the shade and hydrate to combat the heat, said Clark County Fairgrounds Director Dean Blair.
There are plenty of places to buy drinks throughout the fair, and in the air-conditioned Mercantile Building there will be free water from Mercy Health from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., said Blair.
Animals should be gone by the time the heat reaches its highest point this week, but regardless of the weather, there have been precautions taken place to increase ventilation throughout the barns to make it as cool as possible, Blair said.
