Parade Delivers Smiles And Well-Wishes On 50th Anniversary

Due to the Safer at Home mandates families have had to get creative when it comes to celebrations, birthdays and anniversaries. Such was the case for a longtime Turtle Lake area family.
Saturday, April 25 marked the 50th Wedding Anniversary of Charles and Mary Peterson. “Due to COVID19 we were unable to have a get-together to help them celebrate,” explained Charles and Mary’s daughter, JoDee Lochner. “Instead, we planned a surprise parade past their home. We employed their granddaughter to help with our plan.”
In developing a cover-up event the Peterson family put a plan in place. A few years ago Charles and Mary traveled to Hawaii and have said that they wanted to go back. Granddaughter Tia talked them into getting dressed for the outside as she was going to take them to a Hawaiian photo shoot. That got them out to the front yard and in their lawn chairs, complete with leis, sand, flowers, beach ball, blow-up swim toys and articles commemorating their 50-year anniversary. Much to their surprise, 15 minutes later a parade, complete with 40 vehicles, including several tractors, a couple of wagons and a UTV, strolled past their home. The parade delivered. The smiles and well wishes the Peterson’s displayed said it all.