On Dec. 29, Jim and Betty Harris will celebrate 60 years of marriage.

Jim and Betty met in Valdez in 1954. Jim arrived from Utah in 1951 when he was 17; Betty arrived from Montana in 1954 when she was 21. It was a whirlwind courtship and they married at the Assembly of God church in Valdez in 1955.

Jim drove from Anchorage (he was in the Army) to Valdez with the wedding cake in a blinding snow storm. It snowed 4 feet in less then 24 hours. After getting married they were stranded in Valdez because of the 50 feet of snow closing Thompson Pass. They spent their honeymoon on the couch in the living room of Betty’s parent’s trailer. They had to support the roof and walls with 2-by-4’s as the walls were flexing in with the wind. Jim was AWOL since it took them 6 days before the road was opened so he could get back to boot camp in Anchorage.

Jim and Betty moved from Valdez to Soldotna in 1960 and have resided here ever since. Jim was an original ice road trucker and drove trucks for many years to the North Slope and back hauling rigs and other large equipment. He drove for Weaver Brothers; Mukluk Freight Lines; and was part owner of Arctic Motor Freight and Hustlers Inc. Jim and Betty also owned and operated J B Stor n Lok for many years. Betty was very busy and active in the community and volunteered in Soldotna for many years.

Jim and Betty’s family includes: daughter Janis and husband Bill Ramsden; daughter Nancy and husband Kevin Myers; grandchildren Jayms and wife Bethany Harris, Chelsey and husband Chris Hudson, and Jason Howard; great-grandchildren Isabel and Malakai Harris, Paisley Jean Hudson, and two new great-grandchildren to be born in December and February.

Please share your cards and written memories to celebrate Jim and Betty’s anniversary. The mailing address is: Jim & Betty Harris, C/O Nancy Myers, 3840 Wildrose Ave., Kenai AK 99611.

Jim and Betty’s family will be having a time of sharing your cards and letters as they celebrate their anniversary on Dec. 29.

Jim and Betty Harris