Darlene Kottman, daughter of John and Merne Kottman of Ellsworth, Kan., and Bill Sheldon, son of John and Alice Sheldon of Vesper, Kans., were married Oct. 31, 1959, in the First Presbyterian Church in Anchorage. Lloyd and Roxie Schade were best man and bridesmaid. Wayne Case gave the bride away and Chuck Walker was usher.

Darlene had a little apartment on 15th Terrace in Anchorage and worked at First National Bank on the corner of 15th and Gamble. Bill was starting to prove-up on the homestead on what is now East End Road, Homer. Bill worked part time in the Kenai Oil Fields and flew his J-3 Cub airplane back and forth to work as weather permitted. The homestead patent number was entered into Bureau of Land Management books in Anchorage on May 5, 1966, and the land was theirs.

After the requirements were met on proving-up on the homestead, Bill went to work for Mudhole Smith of Cordova Airlines and flew with the Alaska Air National Guard as flight mechanic on their C-123s. Darlene was busy raising children. Kevin was born in 1960, and Allen in 1961, (both in Old Providence Hospital on L Street in Anchorage). Sandy was born in Homer Hospital in 1963; Laura was born in the Anchorage Presbyterian Hospital in 1964.

In spring of 1965, Bill and Darlene felt they needed to be closer to their parents who were not in the best of health, so they moved to Kansas and later to Colorado, where Bill opened his own aircraft mechanics business. Darlene worked part time in the local school district and was bookkeeper for the business. The children all graduated from Fort Collins High School.

Anniversary Darlene and Bill Sheldon

Bill and Darlene have 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. They have been members of the American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary for 24 years, where they are active with many different projects.