LaVonne and Austin Anderson celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary June 17 with an open house at their home in Kennewick followed by a family barbecue and a catered family dinner June 22.

They were married June 22, 1947, in the Kennewick First Methodist Church. Austin is a native of Kennewick and still lives at the family farm where he grew up. LaVonne moved to Kennewick in 1944. They are both Kennewick High School graduates.

LaVonne attended Eastern Washington College and Washington State University prior to working at General Electric, Battelle NW and Westinghouse Hanford before retiring as a manager in security in 1994.

LaVonne is a member of Beta Sigma Phi sorority and Kennewick First United Methodist Church.

Austin served in the Merchant Marines as a third engineer during World War II. He was the owner and operator of a sawmill in Lewiston prior to working at Douglas United Nuclear and the Hanford site as a operating engineer and Teamster. He retired in 1987.

Austin is a member of the Merchant Marines and Kennewick First United Methodist Church.

They have four children, Cindy (Brian) Johnson; Bill (Debbie) Anderson; Betsy (Tom) Lantry; and Melissa (Tom) Gregory. They all live in Kennewick.

They have 13 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.