By Alex Floyd, Special to the News

August 28, 1953 may seem like a different world far away for most of us but to Billy and Jewel Kennedy it was a very special day.

On Aug. 28, 2023 this special couple celebrated 70 years of marriage. Most, if not all of it, was in the same home in downtown Pembroke.

The two began their courtship in the 7th grade. Between school, chores and basketball, Billy worked in the Junior Lane Grocery Store.

After work, he would walk down to the Tos Theatre and watch the afternoon movies with his sweetheart.

The couple also remembers attending the local fair and pageants at the American Legion Hall. They were married in the Pembroke Christian Church and rented five different homes in town before settling in their current residence on Burkhalter Street.

In 1955, Mr. Kennedy reported to basic training on his first daughter Diane’s first birthday. He was the only young father drafted in our community.

He spent two years in the United States Army, mostly in Germany and still has every letter and photograph his loving wife Jewell sent him.After returning home, the couple was blessed with two more children, Richard and Pam.

After the military, Mr. Kennedy worked for the Georgia Dept of Transportation on many projects we drive on today.

Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy are 89 years young and have three children, six grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Mr. Kennedy is a lifelong reader of the Bryan County News and its predecessors.

He gets his mail on Thursday so he can read the entire paper front to back.