MURRAY — Mr. and Mrs. Clarence W. “Woody” Herndon Jr. of Murray celebrated the 50th anniversary of their January 31, 1963, wedding with a dinner for immediate family on Saturday, January 26, 2013, at Patti’s restaurant in Grand Rivers.

Mr. Herndon and the former Donna Ruth Grogan were married January 31, 1963, by Dr. Harvey Elder at First United Methodist Church in Murray. Their attendants were Anne Wrather Hoke, first cousin and Tri Sigma sorority sister of the bride; and John Sommer, Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity brother of the groom.

Mrs. Herndon’s career has included three different periods of service with the Calloway County School System, first as a biology teacher, later as a counselor, and finally as the Family Resource Center Coordinator, a position from which she retired. She also served 11 years as Director of Alumni Affairs at Murray State University before returning to Calloway as FRC Coordinator. She is the daughter of the late Leon and Virgil Childress Grogan.

Mr. Herndon served as an Army aviator, including service in Vietnam. He served as a corporate pilot with the Hoke and Hutson Companies, as well as with PHI.

He retired as a Facilities Manager with the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. He is the son of the late Clarence Woodrow Sr. and Katie Dawson Herndon.

They are the parents of Melissa Herndon Graves of Murray and the late Roger Herndon. They have three grandchildren, Aimee, Nathan, and Roger Graves, all of Murray.

The couple request no cards or gifts, asking instead that family and friends find a way to “pay it forward” with a kindness to others in honor of this anniversary milestone in their lives.