Hadley 60th

Published 8:00 am Sunday, December 3, 2017

James “Jack” and Christine “Chris” Jackson Hadley celebrated their 60th diamond wedding anniversary at a surprise party on October 21, 2017 at their home in Thomasville. Hosts were their children and spouses: Cathy and Eugene Wilson, Augusta, Georgia, and Jackie Hadley and her daughter Evan Artybridge, Jacksonville, Florida. Jim Hadley, Jack and Chris’ son of Walterboro, South Caroline, was not able to attend. 

Jack and Chris have three children, five grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

The surprise party was a great success, because the secret was kept from Chris, while the daughters coordinated the plans with their father, Jack. Jack and Chris had invited his brother Richard and his wife Lauretta out for dinner on October 18 at Longhorn Steakhouse and Chris thought this was it for the 60th anniversary celebration. The great surprise was with family and friends in attendance.

Jack and Chris were married on Friday night, October 18, 1957 at her parents’ house on Greenwood Plantation, where only both parents and immediate family was present.

Jack and Chris used her father’s car and spent the weekend honeymoon in Tallahassee, Florida, but they had to be back Sunday Morning in Thomasville so Chris’ father could have the car to go to church. While in Tallahassee, Jack and Chris attended a game at Florida A&M University, where his sister Agnes Hadley Adams attended. Agnes took them out for dinner to her campus dining hall. 

Jack is now a retired United States Air Force career veteran.  He spent two weeks with his new bride and went on for a long one-year tour of duty in Saudi Arabia. 

Chris entered nursing school at Edward Waters Junior College, Nursing Course of Study in Jacksonville, Florida. Later, after having three children, she went back to college and finished her nursing education at Yuba Junior College, Maryville, California, in 1965, honoring her Licensed Practical Nurse degree.

Jack’s military career took he and his family around the globe. From the east coast of United States to west coast, northern states to southwest in Florida, living in 14 different homes in 28 years of traveling. They have traveled and lived in Germany, Spain, with the family, but left Chris and kids behind while serving duties on three remote military assignments in Vietnam, Taiwan, and Saudi Arabia.

Jack and Chris finally retried in 1984 from the military after his 28-year military career and moved back to their hometown, Thomasville, where they both grew up in and met each other in high school at Douglass High School, where both graduated from.

Jack and Chris both joined the work force after returning home. He took on a job at the United States Postal Services as a city letter carrier and retired in 1997 after 12 years, and Chris took a job at Archbold Medical Center as a licensed practical nurse and worked on a medical ward. She too retired in 1997 after 12 years with Archbold.

Today, both are enjoying what they like to do. Jack is president/founder/curator of the Jack Hadley Black History Museum and Chris is busy with her church duties and taking care of the home.

Jack and Chris both are members of Providence Missionary Baptist Church and both are involved in community organizations, sharing what they believe in, that is helping Thomasville to be a better place for all to live in.