First Posted: 1/20/2013
John and Jo Anne Rygiel, of Wyoming, celebrated 55 happy years of marriage on Jan. 25 with a 10-day trip to the Holy Land in Israel in November 2012.
It was an 11 ½    hour non-stop flight from Newark Airport to Tel Aviv. Travel there was by bus and much walking up and down hills.
Their efforts were rewarded by being in Nazareth, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. They were at the cave where it is believed Jesus was born and stood in the upper room where the Last Supper was eaten. They stood at Golgotha where the crucifixion took place.
Between them, they took about 1300 photographs to remember the occasion.
John and Jo Anne went on their first date on July 37, 1957, became engaged on Sept. 11 and got married on Jan. 25 1958, in Holy Family Church Sugar Notch by Father Anthony Halicki. The courtship took only 197 days.
Three years and nine months later they were blessed with four beautiful children
Dr. Sylvia Esjornson and her husband, David, and children, Walter, Louise and Elaine live in Weatherford, OK. Sylvia is a professor and teaches chemistry at Southwestern Oklahoma State University.
John II lives in Gansevoort, NY with his wife, Lisa. He is self-employed and has a cabinet- building business.
Rosanne Dillon lives in Missouri City, TX with her husband, John, and 10-year-old daughter, Madison. She teaches home schooling.
Patricia Breuer is a QMRP at White Haven Center, She lives at Penn Lake and has two adult daughters, Holly and Heather. She is engaged to David Bartlett.
John and JoAnne plan a small family dinner and will travel.Since they sold their two Honda Gold Wing motorcycles, they will use their 1988 Chevy van.