George and Julia Temme celebrated 70 years of marriage Feb. 7. The two met at the Vancouver Plywood Mill in 1941 and were married Feb. 7, 1942, at St. James Catholic Church in Vancouver.
Julia grew up in the Orchards area and graduated from Union High School in 1939. George grew up in Geddes, SD, and graduated from Geddes High School in 1940.
George and Julia have lived in Battle Ground, Vancouver and Ridgefield, and spent nine years in Burlington, WA, in the 1970s. Julia drove a school bus for 17 years in Clark County and in Burlington. George helped build several of the oil refineries in northern Washington as a member of the Pipefitters Union. He also worked for El Paso Natural Gas and Northwest Pipeline Corporation for almost 20 years as a welder and then foreman.
George and Julia are the parents of six children – George, Jr., Anita Johnson and Pete (Tanya) Temme all live in Vancouver; and Julie (John) Mettler lives in Ridgefield and Steve (Barbara) Temme lives in La Center. Their son John died in a car accident in 2007.
The couple has nine grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. A grandson and a great-granddaughter died in infancy.
George and Julia celebrated their 70 years of marriage at an informal reception with their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, along with their sisters, nieces and nephews, Sat., Feb. 4.
