Diamond Wedding Celebration for Lamont Couple

Diamond Wedding Celebration for Lamont Couple

Michelle Pinon News Advertiser

Sixty years and counting for Ed and Norma Drolet who celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary on Sunday, July 19 at Beaverhill Pioneer Lodge in Lamont.

Family and friends driving 21 vehicles paraded to the front entrance of the lodge around 3 pm to surprise the couple. Children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren greeted them along with friends from Lamont, Vegreville, Fort Saskatchewan, Edmonton, Busby, and Kingman.

For them, the surprise celebration was a “tearjerker” but they couldn’t have been happier than that. They were touched by the thought and care family and friends took to make it extra special. “I want to thank everyone for coming,” said Norma.

“It was so good to see them, we haven’t seen them since March,” added Norma. The couple was allowed to visit until 4 pm outside on the patio. “It was a really good hour.” They say their children have always been good to them, and fondly remember the barbecues they use to have at their home in Star where they lived from 1970 until 2019 when they moved into the lodge.

How did you meet? Both Ed and Norma chuckle together during our phone conversation. “We met through a friend of my sisters,” said Norma. They got together playing cards, and they took it from there. The couple had a long-distance love affair as Ed served overseas with the 2nd Battalion of the Queen’s Own Rifles in Canada. It was an occupation force stationed in Germany, where he served and lived from 1956 to 1960.

On July 16, 1960, they were married in a small church in Lea Park, Alberta. The couple moved several different places until they came to Lamont in April of 1961. Ed says he worked in the feedmill and garage before opening his own tire shop. Meanwhile, Norma was busy raising their four children, (Kelly, Kevin, Kim and Karla). Unfortunately, Kevin passed away in 2012.

Ed did road construction after that, and Norma worked as the camp cook for a couple of years, as all of the children had grown up. Then it was time to enjoy retirement.

Ed and Norma are a ray of sunshine, and they were happy to share their special milestone with family and friends, who brought their own ray of sunshine on July 19.