Hallahans mark 50th wedding anniversary
On Sunday, just a few days early, Frank and Marian Hallahan celebrated 50 years of marriage with friends, family members and neighbours at the Auburn Community Hall, the very building in which they met over five decades ago.
It was on May 31, 1969 that Marian Hickey, the daughter of Joe and Leona of Auburn, married Frank Hallahan, the son of Dan and Hilda of East Wawanosh Township.
The pair were wed at St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church under the auspices of Father Galea and Father Kelly.
Frank’s attendants were Bill Hallahan, who was his best man, and Tom Hallahan, Joe Hallahan and Jim Hickey. Marian’s maid of honour was Alfreda Goldsworthy and her three bridesmaids were Connie Hickey, Marg Hallahan and Joanne Hickey.
Phyllis Hickey served as the ceremony’s flower girl, while Steven Hickey was the ring bearer.
After an extensive tour of Northern Ontario for their honeymoon, Frank and Marian settled in at home, living on Frank’s 50-acre farm on Currie Line in East Wawanosh.
Frank worked at George Radford Construction at the time of the wedding, while Marian worked in the mortgage administration department of the London Life Insurance Company. Marian retired from London Life when she and Frank were married and devoted her time to keeping the house and eventually as a stay-at-home mother.
Marian and Frank would have four children: Steve, who is a robotic dairy farmer who lives in East Wawanosh with his wife Arletta; Diane, who works at Huron County Children’s Services and lives on School Road in Colborne Township with her husband Ken; Darryl, a Royal Bank of Canada employee who lives in Barrie with his wife Lori and Kevin, who lives in Baden with his wife Jenny. Kevin works at Linamar in Guelph.
They now have 10 grandchildren – eight girls and two boys: Rachel, Miranda, Vanessa, Samantha, Alex, Brooke, Grace, Sarah, Ben and Zach.
In 1972, Frank and Marian purchased Frank’s parents’ 150-acre farm and began milking cows.
In the early 1980s, Marian returned to the work force, attending nursing school in Wingham, graduating as a Registered Practical Nurse in 1984. She would go on to work at the Wingham Hospital for over 25 years.
In 1990, the Hallahans expanded their farming footprint, forming a partnership with their son Steve. Frank remains active in the farming operation to this day.
The couple moved to Blyth in 2005 and both remain active in the family’s dairy operation.
Frank is a long-time member of the Blyth Lions Club and is heavily involved in the local music scene, playing the fiddle at local music nights, such as Tuesday Tunes, Thursday Tunes and at area nursing homes.
Both Frank and Marian have been involved with the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association for decades. Frank has volunteered his time in various capacities over the years, while Marian served as the organization’s secretary for over 30 years, retiring from the role several years ago. She remains involved and helps when she can.
Marian is also an active volunteer at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Brussels and she enjoys tending to her lawn and her flower beds, as well as spending time with her family and her grandchildren.
The pair held their celebration at the Auburn Community Hall on Sunday. It served as a special location for them, as it’s where they first met at a Junior Farmers dance. Their wedding reception was also held there 50 years ago.
Guests came to Auburn to celebrate the happy couple from far and wide, with friends and family members coming from London, Thorndale, Seaforth, Barrie, Gravenhurst, Blyth, Walkerton, Goderich, Wingham, Collingwood, Teeswater and Baden and the surrounding area.