Anniversary: Mr. and Mrs. Richardson

October 28, 2012

Mr. and Mrs. Gerald A. Richardson Jr. celebrated 60 years of marriage Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012.

Florence May Leonard of Dawson, Pa. and Gerald Allen Richardson Jr. of Drew met in Washington D.C. They married in Dawson, Pa. on Oct. 25, 1952, by renewing their vows during an afternoon Mass at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Starkville. Two of their four children were in attendance.

Florence was working for Congressman Frank Smith of Mississippi and Gerald was attending George Washington University on a John C. Stennis Fellowship. Gerald was drafted into the U.S. Army and after attending OCS, spent 20 years as an Army Officer. During their 60 years together they have traveled and lived all over the world — Germany, Okinawa, Georgia, Colorado, Texas, Virginia and Pennsylvania to name a few.

After retiring from the Army and moving to Mississippi, Gerald spent 16 years as a professor in the Industrial Education Department at Mississippi State University. Florence worked as an Assistant to the Registrar at MSU.

They have both been very active in the community. Florence, as a long time member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church and as founding member of the Oktibbeha County Federation of Democratic Women. Gerald is a well known woodcarver and is a volunteer at the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum.

They are both looking forward to the birth of their first great-grandchild in December.

The Richardsons have four children, Rebecca Richardson of Denver, Colo., Amy Richardson of Crawford, Gerald A. Richardson III of Crawford and Elizabeth Richard Arnold and husband Curtis of Bethesda, Ohio.

The couple has two grandchildren, Emily Arnold Smith and husband David of Fairborn, Ohio and Nicholas Arnold of Bethesda, Ohio.