A Firm FOUNDATION Residents Emory and Kathaleen Billingsley were just 14 years old when they began exchanging 3-cent love letters back and forth after meeting at a summer camp. Ever since, they’ve been inseparable. On Sept. 15, they celebrated a unique and lucky milestone: their 70th wedding anniversary. Better yet, they celebrated by going on a trip with their daughter, Bonnie Motsay, who lives just a few streets over at Masonic Village at Elizabethtown. Emory and Kathaleen had talked about how it would be special to visit Atlantic City again for their 70th anniversary because it’s where they spent their honeymoon. One evening after dinner, Kathaleen mentioned this to Bonnie, and Bonnie began searching for places to stay to make their wish come true. She started planning the September trip last February and surprised her parents with the news shortly after. Emory and Kathaleen both agreed they were “very excited” when Bonnie told them about the plan. “The first time we went there, for our honeymoon, we were there for a day and a half. We didn’t have much time or money since Emory was serving in the Army 6
Fall 2021 Issue
and was ordered to go to Germany, so we rented a car and drove to Atlantic City,” Kathaleen said. “We also went there for our 60th anniversary. It’s very special.” Bonnie’s companion, Nelson; her brother, Duane; and her sister-in-law, Sharon, attended the trip as well.
“ Atlantic City is definitely sentimental, and the trip was so special,” Bonnie said. “We stayed in Sea Isle City, and we drove down to Atlantic City on their anniversary in the afternoon to walk on the boardwalk just like they did 70 years ago!” Following the trip, they continued the anniversary celebration by attending church at Sell Chapel and enjoying a luncheon at Masonic Village with three generations of their family. “This is all happening because two people fell in love 70 years ago,” Bonnie's daughter, Amber, said at the reunion. In addition to Bonnie and Duane, the Billingsleys had a son, Ron, who is deceased. They also have four grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
