RUSSIA — Marleen and Thomas Hemmelgarn, of Russia, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017, at a 5 p.m. Mass in St. Remy’s Catholic Church in Russia and an open house from 8 to 10 p.m. in the Inn at Versailles in Versailles.
Thomas and the former Marleen Cordonnier were married Aug. 12, 1967, in the St. Remy Church in Russia. The Rev. Joseph Wolfer performed the ceremony on a sunny, warm day. Witnesses were best man Dan Hemmelgarn, maid of honor JoAnn Covelli, Harold Hemmelgarn, Tony Kremer, LeRoy Cordonnier, Eugene Cordonnier, Bruce Hemmelgarn, Bob Hemmelgarn, Kathleen Subler, Mary Kremer and Lou Ireland. The wedding party made sure that the couple’s dog, Hobo, a registered German shepherd, was at the reception. The couple had met at a family wedding.
Thomas is the son of the late Hilda and Mark Hemmelgarn. He has four brothers, Don Hemmelgarn, of Minster, Jerry Hemmelgarn, of Lebanon, Tennessee, Harold Hemmelgarn, of New Bremen, and Dan Hemmelgarn, of Columbia, Missouri, and two sisters, Vera Stafford, of Southern Pines, North Carolina, and Lou Ireland, of Plantation, Florida.
Marleen is the daughter of the late Alvina and Clarence Cordonnier. She has four brothers, LeRoy Cordonnier, of Versailles, Denis Cordonnier, of Fort Loramie, Eugene Cordonnier, of Russia, and Don Cordonnier, of Piqua, and two sisters, JoAnn Covelli, of Sidney, and Kathleen Cordonnier, of Versailles.
The Hemmelgarns have a daughter and son-in-law, Nicole and Bill York, of Vandalia. They have two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Thomas retired from the U.S. Postal Service in Xenia. Marleen is an adjunct instructor at Edison State Community College.
Thomas enjoys remodeling homes. They both volunteer for Wilson Health Hospice and for Upper Valley Medical Center.
The couple are members of St. Remy Catholic Church in Russia, where Thomas serves as an usher and both serve as communion distributors.
