Don and Debbie Fetner celebrate 50th anniversary
Donald Ellison and Debra Sellers Fetner of Columbia recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They were married Dec. 9, 1967, in a small house on Capers Avenue in Columbia.
Their children are Tonya Fetner (Donnie) Howard of Griffin, Georgia, and Donald Ellison “Donnie” (Brennen Long) Fetner Jr. of Columbia. They have five grandchildren – Hailee Howard Stiles, Hannah Howard, Easton Fetner, Ellington Fetner and Micah Fetner – and a sixth on the way.
The Fetners are taking a Caribbean cruise to celebrate their anniversary.
Son Donnie writes, “I’m so incredibly proud of my parents’ perseverance and commitment to one another. It has not always been easy and certainly not always pretty, but they have displayed a willingness to love one another through life’s often complicated challenges. My sister and I have been blessed to always know without question that our parents loved one another and loved us.
“In a day and age where marriages end in divorce just as often as they thrive, I’m so thankful that my parents have chosen to set an example of unity and commitment in their marriage. In the face of highly improbable odds, a 15-year-old girl married a 17-year-old boy; 50 years later, a 65-year-old woman and a 67-year-old man are celebrating 50 years of marriage. Beautiful.”
In son Donnie’s words
Q: How did you meet?
A: My parents met at Sims Park in Shandon when my mom (Debbie) whistled at my dad as he passed by.
Q: What was your favorite part of your wedding day?
A: Their wedding was very simple as they married in a small family-owned home on Capers Avenue in Columbia in front of only immediate family. My mom had just turned 15, and my dad had just turned 17. Despite questions and doubts from both family and friends, they had the support and at that point the permission of their parents to marry. Their favorite part of their wedding day was having the love and support of their family, but also knowing they were embarking on the journey of life together.
Q: What do you wish you’d known your first year of marriage?
A: They wish they would have known how difficult it can be to establish and grow a marriage while learning to support yourself independently of your parents. The first year of marriage can be difficult. Going through the first year together as teenagers can be doubly difficult. Believing in one another and fighting together to keep their heads above water laid the foundation for a marriage built to withstand challenges.
Q: Tell us about a favorite moment in your marriage.
A: My parents’ favorite moment in their marriage is without question growing their family through the birth of their children and then watching their children become parents. Their children and their grandchildren are the joys of their lives.
This story was originally published December 10, 2017 at 12:01 AM with the headline "Don and Debbie Fetner celebrate 50th anniversary."