The Lees celebrate 50th anniversary

Commonwealth Journal

April 03, 2008 08:39 am

— Russell and Sue Lee celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Jan. 5 and 6, 2008.
It was one weekend of “Magic Moments.”
The 5th was a surprise reception in honor of their 50th, hosted by daughter, Debra Collins, and Sue’s two sisters, Gayle Garrison and Emma Revis. It was held at the Hampton Inn in Somerset, Ky., Saturday, Jan. 5, from 2 until 4 p.m.
Russell and Sue were taken out to eat by their granddaughter, Kimiko Collins, and her fiance, Casey Rexroat, who treated them to lunch at King Buffet. They just happened to be chauffeuring the grandparents so they could just drop by the Hampton Inn on an errand.
Russell and Sue never dreamed that Russell’s fishing would be forgotten and them dancing together in front of so many of their friends and family.
Upon arrival at the hotel, they were given their invitation to their 50th reception – to say they were speechless is putting it mildly. They still didn’t understand what it meant and so when their daughter finally came out to escort them in, it was still a major surprise to see the room full of family and friends past and present.
Sue stated she didn’t know so many could keep their mouth shut and not ruin a surprise event.
Friends who came from Columbia were Phillip and Alice Hadley. Family was well represented with nephews, nieces, cousins from all around and a host of their neighbors and friends from Somerset, Ky. Attendance was 37.
Cake was served by Emma Revis and strawberry punch served by Gayle Garrison and Amy Mitchum (niece) made it so special.
The couple who had stood up with them when they got married was there and so pictures were taken 50 years later of the wedding party, Joyce and Alvin Hitch and Russell and Sue Lee.
A photo slide show had been created by granddaughter, Kimiko Collins, titled “Magic Moments” and it had songs titled “Magic Moments” and “Sweet Violets” from the 50s placed to pictures telling the wedding and life story of Russell and Sue. Debra Collins was the organizer and kept everything and everyone circulating.
Donations, in lieu of gifts, had been requested for choices to go to Shriners, Gideon’s or the Liberty Baptist Church Mission Fund. Their son, Ricky Lee, is associated with the Oleika Shriners and a member of the clowns. Gideon’s have always meant so much to Russell and Sue. Russell has been on several mission trips with the Liberty Baptist Church out west and to several other areas.
After the huge surprise, on the 6th, Russell and Sue Lee had planned during the final two weeks leading into this to renew their vows at Liberty Baptist Church.
The invitations to the 5th had already been sent and so it was decided that since Russell and Sue didn’t get to say their vows the first time in front of all their family and friends, the children didn’t want to cheat their parents out of that opportunity so it was decided to have the second day of reception at Liberty Baptist Church. .
Bro. Ulanda Price, the pastor, assisted Sue in planning it and the ladies of the church assisted the daughter and Russell in serving cake and sister-in-law, Linda Lou Lee, and niece, Missy Lee, served punch at the reception.
The son escorted Sue to church.
The monthly potluck kicked it off and following the meal, Bro. Price had Russell and Sue to come up front and repeat vows he had wrote for them with the “continuation of the vows” being stated.
The Liberty Baptist Singers sung several songs for them and everything was very much an inspiration to those there.
Russell gave a testimony of how great God is and how even though doctors had told him 40 years ago she wouldn’t live through the night. God is the master physician and who would have thought they would be there that night celebrating their 50th.
Russell got to wrap up the ending of the celebrating getting to ride the “rail.”
With friends like this who could ask for more. No definite final number was ever really given as to how many was there – all didn’t get registered so the number was in the neighborhood of 80 or so attending this inspiring tribute to Russell and Sue Lee’s 50th anniversary.
This was one anniversary that was chock full of “magic moments.”

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