MONTICELLO, Ill (WAND) — Dean and Linda Howarter celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary surrounded my family and friends. Their story starts in Kincaid, Kansas, where Linda and Dean met in high school. 

"Our first date was roller skating, which I love to roller skate. So we went on a roller skating deal with four couples that were going together for the roller skating. We had a great time," Dean said.

Dean and Linda were high school sweethearts, and were two years apart. A week after Linda graduated high school, she and Dean got married at 17 and 19 years old on May 22, 1955.

They had four children, Deanna, Danette, Dennis, and Derron, and moved from Kansas, to Iowa, then to Princeton, IL before they settled down in Monticello, IL.

Dean and Linda were able to celebrate with over 30 loved ones, and four generations of the Howarter family made it to the party.

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