On March 4, longtime Clarkston residents Paul and Marje Hood celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
An after-service reception was hosted by Calvary Lutheran Church in Clarkston. The Hoods, who were charter members of the church, have worshipped there for over 40 years. Attending the celebration were many friends and family members.
At the time of their marriage in 1944, Paul was in the US Navy, stationed in Liberty, Mo. Doing her part for the war effort, Marje worked at North American Aviation, a defense plant in their hometown of Kansas City.
After the war, the Hoods settled down in Kansas City and had four children over the next six years. The children are Paul Jr. of Clarkston, Mark of Traverse City, Eric of Independence Township and Andrea Hirsch of Independence Township. In addition, the couple has six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Marje, Paul and their children came to Michigan in 1955 when General Motors, Paul’s employer, transferred him to its AC Spark Plug division in Flint. After living in Holly, Paul and Marje moved to the very small town of Clarkston in 1956, where they have resided ever since.
Paul retired from GM in 1989, after more than 35 years of service in the company’s engineering and executive ranks. Marje retired as office manager from the Clarkston Medical Group in 1985, 26 years after Dr. James O’Neill hired her (she was the second employee) and they opened the doors of Clarkston’s oldest and most venerated medical practice.