A
SSOCIATED
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EWSPAPERS OF
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ICHIGAN
P
AGE
7
September 22, 2016
W
AYNE
- W
ESTLAND
Golden days
Wayne couple marks 50th anniversary with trip to Ireland
Historical commission will host Cemetery Walk
Bob Johnson has been appointed to the William P.
Faust LibraryBoard.
Johnson's appointment by Mayor William Wild was
confirmed at ameeting of themembers of the city coun-
cil earlier lastmonth.
Johnson is a 45-year resident of the city. His duties on
the board will include overseeing the operation of the library and the library director.
Meetings of the board take place at 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month in the
communitymeeting roomat the library, located at 6123Central CityParkway.
Johnson and his wife are the parents of two children and one grandchild. Johnson
previously served on the Westland Cable Commission and the Brownfield
Redevelopment Board.
AT&T has donated $5,000 to the city of
Westland in support of the JeffersonBarnes
CommunityVitality Center.
“Since it's opening last year, The
Jefferson Barnes Community Vitality
Center has proved to be a wonderful hub of
active civic engagement here in Westland,”
said JoAnne Campbell, Westland
Community Development director. “This
generous contribution fromAT&T will only
help us further improve what is already a
great community asset, and that's exciting
for everyone here inWestland.”
The check was presented last week to
the city by Robert Jones, the AT&T regional
director of external affairs to Mayor
WilliamWild at CityHall.
Also in attendancewere Campbell, State
Sen. Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D-Taylor) and
StateRep. Robert Kosowski (D-Westland)
The vitality center is housed in a reno-
vated former elementary school and
includes a volunteer-run library, devoted
space for children's activities, and commu-
nity rooms that can be reserved for both
public andprivate events.
Harold and Sharon Bennett of
Wayne will mark their 50th
anniversarywith a party for fami-
ly and friends at the end of the
month, just before they depart
for a trip to Ireland to mark the
occasion.
The couple met at the Wayne
Free Methodist Church in 1965
and began dating in January of
1966. They became engaged in
May and were married Sept. 27,
1966 by a Justice of Peace in
Romulus. The couple both
attended Wayne Memorial High
School. Her family lived
Westland and his family resided
inWayne.
Almost immediately after
their wedding, Harold Bennett
was drafted and served in the
U.S. Army. He spent their first
wedding anniversary in boot
camp in Kentucky and was then
briefly stationed in Georgia
where the couple was together
beforehewas deployed toAsia.
Whenher husbandwas sent to
Vietnam, Sharon Bennett moved
in with her parents as she was
pregnant with twin girls bornOct.
21, 1968. She and the babies
moved into the home in which
the couple still lives on Third
Street inWayne in July of 1969.
Bennett worked as a waitress
in a Chinese restaurant for 30
years while babysitting all four of
the couple's grandchildren as
theywere born. Daughter Sharon
Bleyaert, a Registered Nurse, is
the mother of their oldest grand-
daughter, Devon, 25, a college
student, and grandson, Daniel,
22, who is also in college. Her
twin, Serena Schnau, a pre-
school teacher in the
Wayne/Westland schools, is the
mother of grandsons, Dustin, 20,
a student, and Dalton, 16, a stu-
dent at Wayne Memorial High
School.
Harold Bennett worked in the
auto parts business for 40 years
after leaving the Army. He spent
27 years with B&L Auto Supply
in Romulus where he was the
manager.
The couple is retired now and
enjoys taking Harold's 1980
Cadillac to theDreamCruise and
other car shows. Sharon Bennett
said she enjoys sewing and crafts
and the couple also enjoys work-
ing at elections for the City of
Wayne.
The entire family and many
friends are expected to help the
couple celebrate their half centu-
ry ofmarriage.
The Wayne Historical Society
will host the third annual
Cemetery Walk from 1-3 p.m. Oct.
2 at Westlawn (formerly
Glenview) Cemetery, located at
Michigan Avenue and Merriman
Road.
The guided tour will highlight
prominent African Americans
from the Wayne community
including singer Jackie Wilson,
boxer Sonny Banks and Nolan
Strong from the Diablos, all of
whomare buried at the facility.
Organizers are in need of vol-
unteers to help serve refresh-
ments at the free event.
Volunteers will be asked to help
for one hour, from 1-2 p.m. or
from 2-3 p.m. serving cider and
doughnuts.
The tent and refreshments are
well in hand, organizers said, but
help is still needed at the event
which is "a great way to learn
about our city's history."
There is no admission fee
although donations will be
accepted.
For more information, or to
volunteer, contact the Wayne
Historical Society through
Facebook or call (313) 605-0821.
The cemetery is located at
31472MichiganAve. inWayne.
Bob Johnson
Harold and Sharon Bennett
Library commission
appointment is OK’d
AT&T donates $5,000 to
support Norwayne center
LOCATION
9/22 9/23 9/24 9/25
34177 McBride
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12751 Harrison
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28644 Ecorse
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35526 Grant St
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15770 Orchard
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16240 Middlebelt
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6538 Inkster
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7390 Taft
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35721 Park Place
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15614 Meadow
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6219 2nd St
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15434 Collins
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15815 Anthony
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16158 Ironstone
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15600 Orchard
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6312 Wayne Rd
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11425 Wahrman
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9441 Karen
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6329 Fourth
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11071 Wahrman
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9660 Essex
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6380 Cordell
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9450 Biddle
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30990 Pennsylvania
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31942 Augusta
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37901 Barth
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13244 Huron River Dr
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28386 Heather Way
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28359 Heather Way
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14648 Inkster
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8650 Grover
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9538 Washington
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11441 Wahrman
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11126 Wayne Rd
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ROMULUS CITY WIDE YARD SALE
THURSDAY, SEPT. 22, 2016 - SUNDAY, SEPT. 25, 2016
