John and Marian Van Helden

John and Marian Van Helden celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary at a dinner hosted by their children at the Buffalo Hill Terrace.

The couple met in high school and were married May 8, 1948, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. John was a postmaster and Marian worked part time and was a homemaker.

The couple have resided in Kalispell for the last 13 years.

They have seven children, Steven, Jeffery and Maria, who all live in Kalispell, and Katrina, Peter, Joseph and Terri. They also have 20 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren, making five generations.