Orange natives Lonnie and Norma Dickey will celebrate their 65th anniversary August 21, 2016.

Early in their marriage Lonnie served with U.S. Air Force in England and Florida, where two of their children were born. Two more children were born when they returned home to Texas. They moved to Baytown in 1965 from Orange, when Lonnie was transferred from Gulf Refinery Port Arthur, to Gulf Chemicals Cedar Bayou (now Chevron Phillips). In 1970, Chevron sent Lonnie on special assignment to Japan with a stopover in Hawaii. Lonnie retired from Gulf/Chevron with 29 years, then from Amoco after seven years. Norma worked as a full-time Mom until their youngest entered high school, then outside the home as a banking clerk, retiring in 1985.
Lonnie and Norma enjoyed family vacations in their station wagon and pop-up camper in various U.S. states and much of Texas. Their children’s favorite memories are romps in the floor with Dad, Mom’s theme birthday cakes for all, and drive-in movies with everybody in the station wagon, munching from large grocery-store paper bags filled with popcorn brought from home. Later trips included Mexico, Jamaica and Bermuda. Norma spent her 56th birthday in Honolulu with Flight Attendant daughter Sherri. Their children Bridgitt Dickey; Lonnie H. and wife Terri; Craig Dickey and wife Diane; Sherri Porterfield and husband Jimmie honored their parents on their 25th and 50th wedding anniversaries, and each on their 80th birthdays with special parties. The Dickeys are blessed with seven grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren and one great-great grandson.