Tehachapi News

Fifty years and counting

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John and Ruth Haynes of Bear Valley celebrated 50 years of marriage on May 30, 2009. Surrounded by family and friends, they had a great time at the Oak Tree Country Club. Ruth, known to most of her friends as Reb, moved from Houston, Texas to the Los Angeles area not long before she met John.

Both happened to be golfing at a course in the Los Feliz area and John was distracted by the beautiful, blonde Texan. In an effort to show off for her, he powerfully hit his ball, which went whizzing past her face. Gallantly, he apologized and asked her for her phone number. On the ride home, he accidentally tossed the scrap of paper the number was written on. Once he realized what he'd done, he retraced his steps, checking the gutters of Glendale for the missing phone number. Thankfully, he found the number and made the date.

After John completed his degree and a successful college football career at Occidental College, the couple settled in the San Fernando Valley where John taught and coached at first Sylmar High School and then John F. Kennedy High School and they raised their family.

In attendance were the children of John and Ruth: Jack Haynes of Simi Valley and his family; Kathy Davis of Tehachapi and her family; Suzy Grissom of Tehachapi and her family. Also attending were Reb's brother, Dick, and his wife, Adriana Bishop of Spokane, Washington. John's mother, Marion Haynes, formerly of Tehachapi was there as well as his brothers, Bob Haynes with his wife, Cy, of Minden, Nevada and Gary Haynes of Laguna Niguel, California.

All fourteen of the couple's grandchildren were in attendance. They are: Jessica Aceves of Rosamond with husband Alex, Daniel, Moriah, Asher, Tabitha, and Jonathan Davis of Tehachapi; Tori, Hannah, and Bekah Haynes of Simi Valley; Brittany, Lauren, Landon, Allison, and Kathryn Grissom of Tehachapi. The couple was also blessed to have many friends, colleagues, and former colleagues in attendance.